Rigatoni Amatriciana Recipe
Recipe information
Make Rigatoni Amatriciana in just 40m. guanciale, calabrian chili, pecorino, basil
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Ingredients
Pasta & finishing
Sauce
Pasta & finishing
1. Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous pinch of salt. Add rigatoni and cook until very al dente (2 minutes less than package time) — about 8–9 minutes depending on brand. Reserve 500 ml of starchy pasta water, then drain the rigatoni and set aside.
2. Finish pasta
When sauce is ready, return drained rigatoni to the pan with sauce over low-medium heat. Add about 1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved pasta water and toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes until pasta is al dente and sauce clings to the rigatoni. Add more pasta water, 2–3 tablespoons at a time, if needed to loosen the sauce and form a glossy emulsion. Remove from heat.
3. Add cheese and garnish
Sprinkle 60 g of finely grated Pecorino over the tossed pasta and quickly toss to combine — the cheese will melt into the sauce to create a creamy coating. Taste and adjust with up to 1/4 tsp salt and more black pepper if needed. Divide between plates, sprinkle remaining 20 g Pecorino, tear basil leaves and scatter on top. Serve immediately.
Sauce
4. Prepare guanciale
Pat guanciale dry and cut into 1 cm wide strips. Place a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add guanciale without oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and pieces turn golden and crisp at the edges, about 8–10 minutes. Remove the crisped guanciale with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve the rendered fat in the pan. Keep the cooked guanciale for finishing.
5. Sweat onion (optional)
If using onion, add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the pan with guanciale fat if the pan seems dry. Add the finely chopped onion and reduce heat to medium-low. Sweat until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Do not brown the onion.
6. Add chili and tomatoes
Increase heat to medium. Stir in Calabrian chili paste (about 1 tsp) and cook 30 seconds to bloom the spice. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Scrape any fond from the pan into the sauce.
7. Simmer sauce
Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce gently, uncovered, for 12–18 minutes until it thickens slightly and flavors concentrate. Stir occasionally. If sauce reduces too much, add 2–4 tablespoons reserved pasta water to loosen.
8. Finish sauce with guanciale and season
Stir the reserved crisp guanciale back into the sauce. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, then taste and adjust — remember Pecorino is salty, so be conservative. Keep sauce hot and ready to toss with pasta.
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