Bucatini all’ Amatriciana

Bucatini all’ Amatriciana

Yield: 4 servings

Summary:

Sugo all’amatriciana is a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale (dried pork cheek), pecorino cheese and tomato. Originating from the town of Amatrice (in the mountainous Province of Rieti in Lazio), the Amatriciana is one of the most well-known pasta sauces in Roman and Italian cuisine. The sauce has been declared as Lazio’s Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT).

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 4 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cut into[recipe slug=’lardon’]lardons[/recipe]
  • 28 ounces whole-peeled canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped with juices reserved
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1 pound dry [recipe id=’2601′ slug=’bucatini’ /] or spaghetti
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese (more info)
  • 2 tablespoons basil leaves, [recipe id=’1790′ slug=’chiffonade’ /]

Directions:

  1. In a 3-4 quart sauce pan, over medium heat, cook pancetta until crisp, about 6 minutes.
  2. Remove the pancetta and reserve.
  3. Add olive oil to pan and heat over medium heat.
  4. Add onions.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
  7. Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute.
  8. Add wine and cook to [recipe id=’2171′ slug=’au-sec’ /].
  9. Add the reserved pancetta.
  10. Add tomatoes and their juices and a generous pinch of salt.
  11. Add chile pepper flakes, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer uncovered until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
  12. While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of [tooltip tip=”2 tbsps course salt per gallon of water”]salted water[/tooltip]  to a boil and cook bucatini [recipe id=’2605′ slug=’al-dente’ /].
  13. Reserve about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, drain pasta but do not rinse, add to the frying pan, and toss to coat in sauce.
  14. Add reserved pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
  15. Toss with some of the Pecorino Romano.
  16. Transfer to warm serving plates.
  17. Top with additional sauce, Pecorino Romano, and chiffonade of basil leaves.
  18. Serve immediately.