Name: Bucatini All'Amatriciana
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb bucatini; 6 oz guanciale, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 (28 oz) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes; 3 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; Freshly cracked black pepper; Kosher salt for pasta water

Dean Martin didn't overthink it, and neither should you. Guanciale, tomato, Pecorino — that's amore, and it's enough.

Amatriciana is a Roman institution and Romans are territorial about it. No onion. No garlic. No carrots or celery. Guanciale — cured pork cheek — and San Marzanos and Pecorino. That's it. The guanciale renders low and slow until it's glassy and the fat is liquid gold; that fat becomes the base of the sauce.

Bucatini because that thick, hollow tube was designed to hold this sauce.

Suggested accompaniments from Vol. II: Roman-style braised artichokes with garlic and mint, and crusty sourdough to mop the bowl. Soundtrack: That's Amore by Dean Martin.

Total 35 min Serves 4 Difficulty Easy

Chapter: Italian Dinner Party · Cuisine: Italian · Volume: Vol. II — Italian Dinner Party

Ingredients

1 lb bucatini
6 oz guanciale — cut into ½-inch cubes or thick lardons
1 (28-oz) can whole San Marzano tomatoes — crushed by hand
3 oz Pecorino Romano — finely grated, plus more for serving
¼ cup dry white wine
½ tsp red pepper flakes
Black pepper — freshly cracked, generously
Kosher salt — for pasta water (taste before adding; Pecorino is salty)

Method

Render the guanciale low and slow. Place guanciale in a cold, wide skillet and set over medium-low heat. Let the fat render slowly for 8–10 minutes until the pieces are glassy, lightly golden, and the fat has pooled in the pan. Do not rush this. Remove the guanciale with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving all the fat in the pan.
Bloom the chili and reduce the wine. Add red pepper flakes to the fat and stir for 30 seconds. Add white wine and let it reduce almost completely, about 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
Build the sauce. Add hand-crushed San Marzanos. Season lightly with salt — the guanciale and Pecorino are both salty. Simmer over medium heat for 15–20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil begins to separate slightly around the edges. That's the sign it's ready.
Cook the bucatini very al dente. Cook bucatini in generously salted boiling water until very al dente — bucatini needs 2–3 minutes less than the box says. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
Marry pasta and sauce. Add pasta to the sauce along with the reserved guanciale and a splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously over medium heat for 2 minutes until the pasta is coated and the sauce clings.
Finish off heat with Pecorino. Off heat, add half the Pecorino and toss. Plate in warm bowls. Shower with remaining Pecorino and a generous crack of black pepper.

Chef's Note: Starting guanciale in a cold pan is the technique — it allows the fat to render out gradually before the meat browns. If you add it to a hot pan, it seizes, the exterior crisps before the fat renders, and you lose half the flavor you paid for.

If you can't find guanciale: Pancetta is the acceptable substitute. Bacon is not. Guanciale is cured pork cheek — fattier, sweeter, more aromatic than pancetta. Look for it at Italian markets, Whole Foods cheese counters, or Eataly. The flavor difference is real, but pancetta will get you 80% of the way there.

Cook with intention. Feel and taste your way through it. Keep one clog in the kitchen. Always.
— Brian W. Bonanno

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Ingredients

Method

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