Born in Amatrice but adopted and celebrated by the capital, pasta all’amatriciana is a triumph of crispy guanciale, tomato sauce, and a generous sprinkle of Pecorino Romano PDO, often enhanced with a touch of chili pepper.
This dish is not just a recipe but a piece of gastronomic history that encapsulates the identity of an entire territory.
The delight of pasta all’amatriciana also lies in its versatility to match different pasta shapes, whether long or short, like bucatini and spaghetti or rigatoni and mezze maniche.
The recipe I am sharing with you today is the original version, the one I learned to make here in Rome and which is completely different from the wrong amatriciana I always ate when I lived in Naples with my mom.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 11 oz pasta
- 7 oz guanciale
- Half glass white wine
- 1 lb peeled tomatoes
- to taste salt
- to taste Pecorino Romano
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Spoon wooden
Steps
Preparing pasta all’amatriciana is very simple, but for a good result, it is essential to use high-quality ingredients, such as good guanciale (not pre-cut packaged ones), Italian peeled tomatoes, and above all good Pecorino Romano PDO cheese (not pre-grated and packaged).
Let’s see the various steps in detail.
First, cut the guanciale into strips after removing the outer rind, place it in a pan without oil, and let it “sweat” over low heat.
When the guanciale becomes crispy, deglaze with the white wine, and when the alcohol has evaporated, use a slotted spoon to remove the guanciale and transfer it to a small bowl.
Place the peeled tomatoes in the pan still on the heat.
Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, add salt, and let them cook until the sauce thickens, adding half of the guanciale you set aside in the last minutes of cooking.
Cook the pasta al dente in plenty of salted water, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer it to the pan with the sauce, add a ladle of pasta water, and finish cooking.
With the heat off, add the grated Pecorino Romano and toss the pasta to blend, adding a little more pasta cooking water if necessary.
Plate your pasta and finish with another sprinkle of Pecorino and the other part of the guanciale you set aside.
Serve your pasta all’amatriciana and pair it with a good glass of red wine, perhaps from the Castelli Romani😉.
