Amatriciana Recipe
Bucatini | Guanciale | Crushed Tomatoes | Red Onion | Chilies Pecorino | Basil
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Ingredients
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Pasta
Sauce
Finishing
Method
Pasta
- 1
Boil pasta water
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tbsp coarse salt (should taste like seawater).
- 2
Cook bucatini
Add 400 g bucatini and cook until just shy of al dente according to package instructions (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve about 250 ml of the starchy pasta water before draining, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Sauce
- 3
Prepare guanciale
Trim any very hard rind from the guanciale and cut into 1 cm (roughly 1/3 inch) strips or small dice. This should yield pieces that render fat quickly and get crisp edges.
- 4
Render guanciale
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and the guanciale. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are golden and crisp at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. If the pan gets too dark, lower the heat. Remove most of the crisped guanciale to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
- 5
Soften onion & chilies
Add the thinly sliced red onion and the sliced fresh red chilies (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes) to the guanciale fat. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir occasionally to pick up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 6
Build the tomato sauce
Stir in 1 tbs tomato paste and cook for 30–60 seconds to deepen flavor. Add the 400 g crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar (optional), 1 tsp sea salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 12–15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 7
Finish sauce with guanciale
Return the reserved crisped guanciale to the sauce in the last 2 minutes of simmering so it warms through and infuses the sauce without losing its texture.
Finish & Serve
- 8
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained bucatini to the skillet with the sauce (if your skillet isn't big enough, transfer sauce back to the pasta pot). Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time (use roughly 150–250 ml as needed) to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. Cook together over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until pasta reaches perfect al dente and sauce is glossy.
- 9
Add cheese and basil
Remove from heat. Stir in about two-thirds (approximately 65 g) of the finely grated Pecorino Romano, tossing quickly so the cheese melts into the sauce and creates a creamy coating. Tear and fold in most of the basil leaves, reserving a few for garnish. If the sauce seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two more of pasta water.
- 10
Plate and garnish
Divide the pasta among 4 warm bowls (serves 4). Sprinkle the remaining Pecorino over each portion, garnish with the remaining basil leaves, and finish with a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.