Amatriciana Recipe

Prepare guanciale

Slice the guanciale into roughly 1/3-inch (8 mm) lardons. Pat dry if very moist. This ensures even rendering.

In a large sauté pan (12-inch), warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the guanciale pieces in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the guanciale is crisp and golden at the edges, about 8–10 minutes. Do not burn — reduce heat if needed.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 1–2 tablespoons of crisped guanciale to a small bowl for garnish. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.

Add the diced shallot to the rendered guanciale fat and sweat over medium-low heat until translucent and softened, about 3–4 minutes. Add the hot red chili flakes and cook 30 seconds to bloom the heat and aroma.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes to concentrate flavors. If the sauce becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to loosen (you will use additional reserved water when finishing).

Stir in 3/4 cup of the grated Pecorino Romano and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the freshly ground black pepper into the sauce off the heat to melt and incorporate. Taste and add fine sea salt if needed (be cautious: Pecorino and guanciale are salty). Keep sauce warm over the lowest heat setting.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the kosher salt (about 1 tablespoon) to the boiling water. Add the spaghetti or bucatini and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package directions). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, leaving it slightly wet.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce pan with the tomato-guanciale sauce. Over medium heat, toss the pasta into the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and continue to toss and cook for 1–2 minutes until the pasta finishes cooking and the sauce clings to the strands. Add more reserved water a tablespoon at a time if needed to reach a glossy, emulsified consistency.

Off the heat, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano over the pasta along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toss vigorously (using tongs or two forks) for 30–60 seconds to create a creamy coating. The starch in the pasta water plus the cheese and rendered fat will emulsify into a silky sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with more pepper or a pinch of salt if necessary.

Divide the pasta among warmed bowls. Top each serving with the reserved crisp guanciale, a final grating of Pecorino Romano, and an extra crack of black pepper to taste.