Amatriciana Recipe
Cooked with Bacon, Garlic, Chilli, White Wine and homemade Napolitana Sauce
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Ingredients
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Sauce - Napolitana base & additions
Amatriciana specifics
Method
Sauce - Napolitana base & additions
- 1
- 2
Sweat aromatics
Heat 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the whole garlic cloves and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden, then remove and discard the garlic (it flavored the oil). Add the finely chopped onion and sweat gently for 6–8 minutes until translucent but not browned.
- 3
Deglaze
Raise the heat to medium-high, add the white wine (60 ml) and simmer for 2–3 minutes until mostly evaporated, scraping any browned bits from the pan.
- 4
Simmer tomato base
Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices to the pan along with chili flakes (1 tsp), salt (1.5 tsp), black pepper (½ tsp) and optional sugar (½ tsp). Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly reduced and thickened.
- 5
Finish sauce
Tear in fresh basil leaves in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep the sauce warm on very low heat while you prepare the guanciale and pasta.
Amatriciana specifics
- 6
Render the guanciale
Place a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the guanciale strips (200 g). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–10 minutes until the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp at the edges. If the guanciale is very lean and not enough fat renders, add 1 tbs olive oil to the pan.
- 7
Combine guanciale and tomato sauce
Once guanciale is crisp, pour off and reserve about 1–2 tbs of the fat in the skillet (discard excess or reserve for another use). Add 300–350 ml of the warm Napolitana sauce to the skillet with the guanciale and simmer together for 2–3 minutes so the flavors marry. Keep warm.
- 8
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti or bucatini (400 g) and cook until al dente according to package instructions minus 1 minute. Reserve about 300 ml of the starchy cooking water before draining the pasta.
- 9
Finish pasta in sauce
Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the guanciale and sauce. Toss over medium heat, adding 100–200 ml of reserved pasta water as needed to create a glossy emulsified sauce that clings to the noodles. Cook and toss for 1–2 minutes until pasta is perfectly al dente and sauce coats the strands. If the sauce is too thin, simmer briefly; if too thick, add more pasta water by tablespoonfuls.
- 10
Add cheese and serve
Remove the pan from heat and add about three quarters of the finely grated Pecorino Romano (approx. 60 g). Toss quickly so the cheese melts into the sauce — if the sauce needs loosening, add a splash of pasta water. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide among plates, then sprinkle the remaining Pecorino (about 20 g) on top and finish with an extra crack of black pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil if desired.