Spaghetti all’amatriciana, the grandmother’s recipe with guanciale from Amatrice, onion and pecorino. Pasta is good in every way; we’re “pasta lovers” and from carbonara to pasta alla norma, passing through a baked pasta or the typical Nerano, I truly believe you can never say no to a good plate of Italian pasta! To tell the truth, my grandmother never made amatriciana, but my friend Carla’s grandmother makes it divinely and a few days ago she actually sent me the guanciale from Amatrice by mail — do you know why? Because I wanted to make the grandma’s amatriciana sauce with onion and make the famous spaghetti myself! So finally, with the guanciale at home, there was nothing left to do but get to the stove! Ready? Let’s discover together how to make the original spaghetti all’amatriciana! Before running to the kitchen, as always I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my other recipes, you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
Do you love pasta? Check out these traditional recipes too!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients to make spaghetti all’amatriciana
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 7 oz guanciale (from Amatrice)
- 14 oz peeled tomatoes (canned)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- to taste fresh chili pepper
- 3 oz Pecorino Romano
- to taste salt
- 3.5 oz onion
Tools
- Pot
- Frying pan
- Skimmer
Preparation
To prepare spaghetti all’amatriciana, bring the pasta water to a boil and salt it shortly before it reaches a full boil. To make the amatriciana sauce, remove the rind from the guanciale and slice it into pieces about 1 cm thick (about 3/8 inch), then cut into strips (and into cubes if you prefer).
Let it brown over low heat for 7-8 minutes in a heavy-bottomed pan; in this way the fat will slowly render and become translucent while the meat turns crisp and golden. Stir often, taking care not to burn it, then deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate over high heat. Remove the guanciale with a skimmer and set it aside.
In the same pan with the cooking fat from the guanciale, add the whole chili pepper (seeds removed) and let the chopped onion wilt. Once golden, add the peeled tomatoes and crush them with a fork. Cook over moderate heat for about 15 minutes and adjust the salt if necessary.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Remove the chili from the sauce and add the guanciale, cooking for another minute while stirring well. Drain the spaghetti and toss them into the sauce. Finish by tossing to combine, plate and serve with a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano PDO or Pecorino from Amatrice.
Storage and tips
Amatriciana pasta should be eaten immediately. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for a maximum of 1 day and reheat before serving. The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Many make amatriciana without onion — not Carla’s grandmother — but I assure you that even the version without onion is delicious.
