Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Bucatini all'Amatriciana takes its name from Amatrice, a small town historically part of Abruzzo though now administratively in Lazio, where shepherds are said to have first combined cured pork, chili, and sharp cheese into a simple, hearty sauce. The dish predates the arrival of tomatoes from the New World; the earlier, tomato-free version survives today as gricia, considered the shared ancestor of both amatriciana and carbonara. Rome embraced the recipe so completely during the 19th and 20th centuries that it is now counted among the four great Roman pastas, alongside carbonara, cacio e pepe, and gricia. In 2020 the town of Amatrice successfully petitioned the European Union for a Protected Geographical Indication for the sauce, cementing its status as a defended regional specialty rather than an ordinary tomato pasta.
Guanciale, never bacon
Authentic Amatriciana is made with cured pork cheek, guanciale, never smoked bacon or pancetta, for its distinct sweet fat.
A gentle touch of heat
A pinch of crumbled dried chili pepper gives the tomato sauce its traditional, subtle kick.
Pecorino Romano only
Sharp, salty Pecorino Romano is stirred in off the heat, never Parmesan, to keep the sauce authentic.
Bucatini's hollow center
The thick, hollow bucatini strands trap sauce inside the tube, coating every single bite generously.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400g bucatini pasta
- 150g guanciale (cured pork cheek), cut into strips
- 400g canned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 small dried chili pepper, crumbled
- 50g Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
- 1 small glass of dry white wine
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A drizzle of olive oil, if needed
How to make it
- 1Cut the guanciale into thick strips and render it slowly in a cold pan over low heat until the fat turns golden and crisp.
- 2Remove the crispy guanciale pieces and set them aside, leaving the rendered fat behind in the pan.
- 3Add the crumbled dried chili pepper to the fat and let it sizzle briefly to release its aroma.
- 4Pour in the dry white wine and let it evaporate almost completely, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 5Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and simmer gently for about fifteen minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 6Meanwhile, cook the bucatini in generously salted boiling water until just al dente.
- 7Drain the pasta, toss it through the sauce with the crispy guanciale, and finish with a generous handful of grated Pecorino Romano before serving immediately.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
