Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Method6 steps · about 20 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring a large pot of pasta water to a boil and salt it.

   Uses Water for boiling pasta; reserve 125 ml cooked pasta water · Salt for pasta-boiling water, to taste

2. 2

   Step 2: Trim and discard the thick skin underneath the guanciale (150 g). Trim some of the dark seasoned surface if preferred, then cut into cubes or strips about ¼ inch thick.

   Uses 150 g guanciale

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the trimmed chopped guanciale. Fry until it is crisp and its fat has rendered.

   Uses trimmed chopped guanciale

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the 80 ml white wine to the crisp guanciale and simmer until reduced by half. Add the canned tomatoes and their juices, break them up with a spoon, then stir in the ½ tsp chili flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste before adding extra sauce salt or black pepper, because guanciale is already salty.

   Simmer Amatriciana sauce · 10 minUses crisp guanciale with rendered fat · 80 ml dry white wine · 800 g canned whole plum tomatoes, with their juices · ½ tsp red pepper flakes · Extra sauce salt only after tasting, if needed · Black pepper only to taste the sauce

5. 5

   Step 5: While the sauce simmers, add the bucatini to the boiling salted water. Begin checking it 2–3 minutes before the package time and cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve 125 ml of the cooked pasta water.

   Uses boiling salted pasta water · 400 g dried bucatini pasta

6. 6

   Step 6: Toss the drained cooked bucatini with the finished tomato-guanciale sauce. Add a splash from the reserved 125 ml pasta water only if the sauce needs loosening, then add all the grated Pecorino Romano (70 g). Toss until evenly coated and serve.

   Uses drained al dente bucatini · finished Amatriciana sauce · A splash of the reserved 125 ml cooked pasta water only as needed · 70 g freshly grated Pecorino Romano