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Bucatini all'amatriciana
Bucatini all'amatriciana: guanciale, tomato and pecorino from Amatrice
Shepherds from Amatrice, a mountain town in northern Lazio, carried guanciale and pecorino up to summer pastures, and once tomatoes arrived from the south the sauce took the shape it has kept ever since. The town still holds a sagra every August, and the dish became a Roman staple through the cooks who moved to the capital. Thick, hollow bucatini catch the sweet-sharp tomato inside and out, while the guanciale gives rich, porky pockets and the chilli a gentle warmth. Locals are firm that onion and garlic do not belong in it; they soften the clean taste of the pork. Chef's tip: lift the browned guanciale out of the pan before the tomatoes go in and return it just before serving, so it keeps its bite instead of turning soft in the sauce.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the sauce
For the pasta
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put a large pot of water on to boil and add 1 tbsp salt.
10 minStep 2: Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat, add 5 ½ oz guanciale and fry, stirring, until the fat runs and the edges turn golden brown.
6 minStep 3: Lift the guanciale out with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving the fat in the pan. Stir ½ tsp dried chilli flakes into the fat for 20 seconds.
Step 4: Pour in ¼ cup dry white wine and let it bubble over a medium-high heat until the smell of alcohol has gone and it has nearly evaporated.
1 minStep 5: Add 14 oz tinned whole peeled tomatoes with any juice and simmer over a medium heat, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and the fat starts to pool glossy-red at the edges. Taste and add a pinch of salt only if it needs it.
12 minStep 6: Meanwhile cook 14 oz bucatini in the boiling water until just al dente; bucatini are thick and usually take 10–11 minutes. Keep a mug of the cooking water.
11 minStep 7: Drain the pasta into the sauce, return the guanciale and toss over a medium heat for 1 minute with a splash of pasta water, until the sauce clings and slips into the hollow centres.
1 minStep 8: Off the heat, toss in two-thirds of 1 ½ oz pecorino romano. Serve with the rest of ⅝ oz pecorino romano at the table.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bucatini all'amatriciana take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
- What can I use instead of tinned whole peeled tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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