Original Bucatini all’Amatriciana Recipe Step by Step

The Amatriciana sauce (matriciana in Roman dialect) is an ancient, very tasty condiment, which always enjoys great success.

Like every ancient recipe, everyone has their own version, but the true original recipe of Amatriciana with all its simple secrets, includes the following ingredients:

1) strictly aged Guanciale (NO pancetta) cut into strips (NO cubes). The difference between guanciale and pancetta is fundamental: guanciale is much fattier than pancetta but also more aromatic and flavorful, during cooking the fat melts, gives flavor to the amatriciana, and does not become dry like pancetta;

2) Fresh San Marzano tomatoes, previously blanched, peeled, deseeded, and cut into fillets, but quality peeled tomatoes are also fine (NO tomato puree or pulp);

3) Aged Pecorino (NO parmesan);

4) NO onion and garlic (but I add it);

5) Spaghetti (but I prefer bucatini);

6) Chili pepper, a splash of white wine, preferably everything should be prepared in a iron pan (or aluminum).

The Amatriciana is such a good and tasty ancient condiment that it is famous worldwide, also for its simplicity of execution, it always enjoys great success.

If you love first courses, including the great classic condiments like Ragù, Genovese, Bolognese, etc., you can find them all in the Section of my Blog dedicated to “First Courses“.

If you are looking for other easy and quick recipes (sweet or savory), click on my Special: “Easy and Quick Recipes“.

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Ingredients for the Original Bucatini all’Amatriciana

17.6 oz bucatini (or spaghetti)
4.2 oz guanciale
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
chili pepper
Half shot glass dry white wine
1 garlic (optional)
14.1 oz peeled tomatoes (or 6-7 San Marzano tomatoes)
3.5 oz Pecorino Romano
to taste salt
to taste black pepper (optional)

Tools for the Original Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Bowls Guzzini set of bowls in various sizes
Cutting Board with two side trays that are also oven-safe
Mezzaluna sharp with double blade
Iron Pan
Pot with double bottom

Steps for the Original Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Remove the guanciale rind and cut it into strips, take an iron (or aluminum) pan, pour in 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil (optional), the garlic (optional), and the chili pepper, let the garlic turn golden, then add the guanciale strips and cook on medium-low flame for a few minutes, allowing it time to release its fat and become crispy.
Deglaze the pan with a little dry white wine, then remove the guanciale pieces, drain well and cover them, to prevent them from becoming too dry.
Add the peeled tomatoes to the same pan where the guanciale fat remains, mash them with a fork, then cook first on high flame, then on medium-low flame, and adjust the salt.
The sauce should thicken well, which will take about 15 minutes.
Once the sauce is cooked, put the guanciale pieces back in, and give the sauce another stir.
Meanwhile, cook the bucatini al dente in plenty of salted water (save a small ladle of cooking water) then transfer them to the pan with the sauce and toss with a small ladle of pasta cooking water.
Off the heat, add the grated Pecorino and adjust with fresh ground pepper to taste (optional).
Mix well and serve your bucatini all’Amatriciana immediately, completing with more grated Pecorino.

NOTES and Tips

If instead of peeled tomatoes, you use fresh San Marzano tomatoes, first blanch them for a few moments in boiling salted water, drain and cool them under running water. After peeling them, remove the seeds and cut them into fillets.

Shopping Tips !!!

To cook the Amatriciana, it is almost essential to use an iron pan like this one you find on Amazon, in various sizes, at a great quality/price ratio, by clicking here.

To slice the bacon and vegetables I used this convenient cutting board with side trays incorporated (one for sliced food, the other for waste) and this very sharp mezzaluna with double blade.

FAQ (Questions and Answers)

Origins and history of the Amatriciana sauce
The Amatriciana sauce (matriciana in Roman dialect) is an ancient condiment, which some mistakenly attribute to Roman cuisine, forgetting that originally Amatrice was part of the province of L’Aquila, so the Amatriciana is not strictly a Roman cuisine recipe, but it was the shepherds, with the seasonal transhumance shifts towards the Roman countryside, who made this recipe known in the capital.
The transhumance forced the shepherds to stay away from home for at least 4 months, so they carried for their sustenance products of easy and prolonged conservation, such as: guanciale, pecorino, flour.
The original recipe is white and without tomato, also called Gricia, the introduction of tomato in the recipe occurs later around the late 1700s, when the Neapolitans, among the first in Europe, recognized the great organoleptic qualities of tomato, and so also the Amatricians, whose territory fell within the Kingdom of Naples, had the opportunity to appreciate it, and with happy intuition, they added it to the original recipe (see production regulations).

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Original Bucatini all’Amatriciana Recipe Step by Step.