Bucatini all’Amatriciana
A true Roman culinary masterpiece. Thick, hollow pasta strands perfectly coated in a deeply savory tomato sauce, enriched by crisp pork cheek and a gentle kick of chili flakes.
30 min
Easy
Italiana (Romana)
3 servings
The story behind
You won't believe how incredible the flavor profile of this dish is! This recipe instantly takes me back to a tiny, hidden trattoria in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. It was a freezing night, and the chef, an incredibly cheerful local, brought out this steaming bowl. He explained that the ultimate Roman trick is to never use regular bacon—always stick to guanciale—and let the pasta finish cooking its last two minutes straight inside the pan with a splash of pasta water to get it naturally creamy without adding heavy cream. It’s the ultimate Sunday comfort lunch. Pair it with a simple side green salad and a glass of young red wine like a Chianti or Sangiovese.
Instructions
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1Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add a generous handful of sea salt and drop in the bucatini strands.
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2While the pasta cooks, render the guanciale strips in a large skillet over medium heat without adding any oil. Let it cook down until it becomes crispy and beautifully golden.
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3Remove the crunchy guanciale pieces from the skillet and set aside on a plate, leaving all the rich rendered fat in the pan.
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4Toss the minced peperoncino chili into the hot fat. If using white wine, pour it in now to deglaze the bottom of the pan, allowing the alcohol to cook off completely.
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5Pour the hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes into the skillet. Season with just a micro-pinch of salt (the pork and cheese are already salty) and simmer over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until reduced.
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6Drain the bucatini two minutes before the package instructions specify (they should still be quite al dente) and transfer them directly into the tomato sauce skillet, reserving the starch-rich cooking water.
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7Ladle about a half-cup of the hot pasta water into the skillet and toss everything together over high heat to emulsify the sauce and fully coat the strands.
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8Turn off the heat entirely, fold the crispy guanciale back into the mix, and sprinkle a heavy snow of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Stir vigorously to create a velvety glaze, then serve immediately.
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