Bucatini all'Amatriciana Recipe
This is a recipe you don't want to miss. This classic sauce takes its spiciness from black pepper and dried chiles and its depth of flavor from guanciale, Italian salt-cured pork. Add this to your meal plan this week!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes in pulp crushed tomatoes also work
- 12 ounces guanciale pancetta, or thick cut bacon (if using bacon add a little oil to pan)
- 1 pound bucatini pasta any long pasta will work
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese 8 oz
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Cut the guanciale, pancetta or bacon into chunks less than one-half inch thick.
- Heat a large pan over a high heat. Add guanciale/pancetta or bacon pieces and red chili flakes (if using), and stir fry until all the fat has been rendered out and the meat is very crisp. Scrape bottom of pan often to prevent from sticking.
- Add the canned tomatoes to the pan. Stir everything through then reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of cold water to a boil and add salt to taste. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and add to skillet with sauce.
- Place the drained pasta on top of the sauce. Add half of the cheese and stir the pasta with the cheese without mixing with the sauce, yet. Add pasta water and stir to combine the sauce and pasta. Add the rest of the cheese.
- To serve, portion out the pasta into serving bowls, top with plenty of freshly grated pecorino cheese.
Notes
- Start the guanciale in a cold pan – This helps slowly render the fat and crisps the meat perfectly without burning.
- Use quality whole peeled tomatoes – Crushed San Marzano or Italian plum tomatoes in pulp yield the right balance of sweetness and acidity. No added sugar needed.
- Simmer the sauce in the rendered guanciale fat – This builds a rich, porky tomato base that clings beautifully to the pasta.
- Finish pasta in the sauce with pasta water – This creates that silky, starchy emulsion that binds the sauce to every strand.
- Use Pecorino Romano—not Parmigiano – Sharp, salty Pecorino is key for the true Roman flavor. Grate it fresh for best results.
- Stick with bucatini or spaghetti – Bucatini is traditional and great for catching the sauce, but spaghetti works well too.
- Add red pepper flakes to taste – Traditional Amatriciana has a touch of heat, but it's optional. A little goes a long way.
Nutrition
Serving: 8g | Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg
