Bucatini Amatriciana Recipe
guanciale + tomato + chili + red onion + pecorino
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Ingredients
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Pasta
Sauce
Finishing
Method
Pasta
- 1
Boil water
Bring a large pot (about 6–8 liters) of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt (should taste like the sea).
- 2
Cook bucatini
Add 400 g bucatini and cook until just shy of al dente according to package instructions (typically 1–2 minutes less than full time). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside. Do not rinse.
Sauce
- 3
Render guanciale
While the pasta water heats, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the guanciale (200 g) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pieces are crisp at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. If the guanciale is very lean, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to help rendering.
- 4
- 5
Add chili
Stir in crushed red pepper flakes (1 tsp) and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the heat in the fat.
- 6
Add tomatoes
Add the canned whole peeled tomatoes (800 g) — crush them by hand or with a spoon as you add them — and 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 15–20 minutes.
- 7
Season sauce
Season the sauce with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar if tomatoes taste overly acidic. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep sauce warm over the lowest heat.
Finishing
- 8
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the partially cooked bucatini to the skillet with the sauce (or return sauce to a large pot if needed). Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes to allow the pasta to finish cooking and the sauce to emulsify and cling to the noodles. Add additional pasta water as needed to reach a silky consistency (use up to the reserved 1 cup).
- 9
Incorporate cheese
Remove the pan from heat. Sprinkle in about three-quarters of the finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 90 g) and toss until the cheese melts into the sauce, creating a creamy coating. If the sauce seems dry, add a splash more pasta water.
- 10