For ➍500 g bucatini or thick spaghetti
100 g pancetta or guanciale, diced*
100 g ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded & chopped
½ onion, minced
pepper, seeded & shredded
10 cl olive oil
freshly grated pecorino Romano
Set the pasta water to heat, salt it when it boils, and cook the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet, add the diced meat, and cook until it browns, stirring the pieces about. Remove them to a sheet of absorbent paper with a slotted spoon and keep them warm.
Add the onion to the grease in the pan, together with the hot pepper. When it begins to color, add the well drained tomato pieces. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 m, then return the diced pancetta to the pot and heat it through. Drain the pasta while it's still a little al dente, turn it into the skillet with the sauce, cook 1 m more, stirring the pasta to coat the strands.
Serve with grated pecorino.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet, add the diced meat, and cook until it browns, stirring the pieces about. Remove them to a sheet of absorbent paper with a slotted spoon and keep them warm.
Add the onion to the grease in the pan, together with the hot pepper. When it begins to color, add the well drained tomato pieces. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 m, then return the diced pancetta to the pot and heat it through. Drain the pasta while it's still a little al dente, turn it into the skillet with the sauce, cook 1 m more, stirring the pasta to coat the strands.
Serve with grated pecorino.
*Bacon is not a good substitute, because it is smoked and also contains sugar not present in either pancetta or guanciale.
Named after the city of Amatrice in northern Lazio, Amatriciana sauce derives from a much older sauce called La Gricia, which the shepherds used to make by sautéing diced guanciale so gently as to keep it from browning, and adding freshly boiled pasta, a healthy dusting of pepper, and grated pecorino Romano. The Amatriciana sauce, with tomatoes, was initially enjoyed by the nobility, because only they could afford tomatoes.
In Amatrice, it is prepared without onions, which is not typical of standard recipes from outside the area.
