Pasta All'Amatriciana

The Secret Italian Sauce You 

Need To Make Right Now

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   When it comes to preparing pasta all’amatriciana, remember: Simple is better. There are many opinions about ingredients when it comes to preparing the dish today, and many chefs choose to add onion or garlic. However, the mayor of Amatrice emphatically states that this is not traditional, favoring only guanciale, pecorino, white wine, black pepper, chili pepper, and San Marzano tomatoes. It’s safe to say that he knows best!

Recipe: Pasta All'Amatriciana 

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

6 oz. guanciale (pancette or in a pinch bacon will do), cut into cubes

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

1 28oz. can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Salt

1 lb. spaghetti or bucatini pasta

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino (or Parmesan), plusadditional for serving.

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté guanciale and red pepper flakes until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes.

If using, add wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to gather any browned bits until wine is nearly all evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add black pepper; reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.

While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil pasta until just shy of al dente (1-2 minutes less than the package recommends). Using tongs, transfer cooked pasta and about ¼ cup of pasta water to sauce, stirring quickly until incorporated. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more of the pasta water.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. 

Wine pairing: Keep it local and look for a central Italian red to complement the bite of the tomato and spice: Cesanese del Piglio from Lazio, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Abruzzo, or Chianti Classico from Tuscany.