Pasta all'Amatriciana

Pasta all'Amatriciana

A classic Roman pasta from the mountain town of Amatrice, built on guanciale, tomato, pecorino and chilli. Bucatini is the traditional cut, its hollow strands catching the rich, slightly spicy sauce.

Prep

10 min

Cook

25 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) bucatini, spaghetti is the most common home substitute
• •150 g (5¼ oz) guanciale, cured pork cheek, cut into matchsticks; pancetta is the acceptable substitute, bacon is not traditional
• •400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 1 can (400 g) good-quality peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• •80 g (⅔ cup) pecorino romano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• •1 whole fresh red chilli, or 1 small dried peperoncino
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, traditionally optional; some Amatriciani use only the fat from the guanciale
• •1 small glass dry white wine, about 60 ml / ¼ cup, optional but common in Rome
• •salt, to taste, for the pasta water
• •black pepper, to taste, freshly ground

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil (about 10 g salt per litre).
2. 2 While the water heats, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the guanciale and render slowly for 4 to 5 minutes until the fat is translucent and the pieces are crisp and lightly bronzed.
3. 3 Add the whole chilli to the guanciale and let it infuse for 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine, if using, and let it bubble away until almost dry, about 1 minute.
4. 4 Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or a fork. Season lightly with salt and a grind of pepper. Simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the fat is no longer watery on the surface. Remove the chilli.
5. 5 Cook the bucatini in the boiling water until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package time. Reserve about 150 ml (⅔ cup) of pasta water before draining.
6. 6 Transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss vigorously over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, splashing in small amounts of the reserved pasta water as needed, until the sauce clings evenly to the strands.
7. 7 Remove from the heat. Add most of the pecorino and toss off the heat so the cheese melts into a creamy coating rather than clumping. Taste and adjust salt.
8. 8 Serve immediately in warmed bowls, topped with the remaining pecorino and a final grind of black pepper.