Bucatini all'Amatriciana
★★★★★
SERVES
2-4
Ingredients
1
handful bucatini pasta, or substitute perciatelli
1
large shallot or the equivalent amount of chopped onion
1
dried hot pepper, coarsely chopped and seeds separated. Alternatively, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (separate the seeds with the point of a knife).
4 ounces
guanciale, chopped (or substitute pancetta or bacon)
14 ounces
chopped, canned tomatoes (in summer by all means substitute fresh)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil until it’s shimmering but not smoking. Saute the the shallot, the guanciale and the pepper flakes until the onion is only lightly colored.
- Turn down the heat to low and add the tomatoes. Simmer this while the pasta is cooking. Add salt and pepper.
- When the pasta is cooked drain it saving a few tablespoons of pasta water (if needed). Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce and stir to combine. Make sure the sauce is “tight” but if it’s too tight flick in a little bit of the pasta water.
- To plate: using tongs portion out the pasta on warm plates. Grate the pecorino cheese over each. If using the garnish sprinkle it over the top.
- Notes to cook: it's worth your trouble to source real guanciale even if it is domestic. You can substitute pancetta but we are talking nose to tail here, so we want you using face parts. Bucatini is a long, relatively thick strand of round pasta with a pinhole running through it. Latini is a good brand as is Rustichella D’abbruzzo. But perciatelli works just fine. Focus on the guanciale.
- Find the guanciale. Make me proud. You can do it.
- Note to cook: You can up the amount of red pepper if you like but we're not going all' arrabbiata here.
