Bucatini all’ Amatriciana
Bucatini all’ Amatriciana originated in the central Italian town of Amatrice in the Lasio region of Italy. It is a popular dish in many Roman restaurants and a must try because it is packed with rich, robust flavors. Here is proper pronunciation : [amatriˈtʃaːna, It takes a little practice…
All you will need is some cured or smoked guanciale (pork jowl), white onion, dry white wine, plum tomatoes, pecorino romano cheese and bucatini pasta.. That’s it. I bet you have all those ingredients in your frig…ready to go…right? 
Guanciale, is a Italian cured pork jowl or cheek. The cured jowl is easily found in many Italian specialty stores however, it is difficult to find where we live in SC. I was happy to discover a smoked version that is used in many southern dishes and called “pork jowl bacon”. It is the same cut of meat..but is smoked rather than cured. It worked wonderfully in this recipe.
The cheek has a layer of fat with a thin sliver of meat running through it.. When rendered slowly in a bit of olive oil , it becomes a crispy morsel of goodness. …much like bacon.. And wow..does it add a ton of flavor to your sauce. If you cannot find the jowl, you can use pancetta..or thick bacon. 
After you saute the guanciale and onion, , drain off some of the rendered fat. Leave about 2 tablespoons in pan. Add 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup dry white wine to deglaze pan. Add the canned plum tomatoes. Crush them by hand or blend them to desired consistency. I prefer them hand crushed with a few lumps. Season with salt/pepper and little bit of sugar if tomatoes are acidic. Let sauce for about 20 minutes over medium heat. adjust seasonings and set aside.
Cook the bucatini pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 8 minutes or until al dente..(to the bite) Bucatini is a round hollow pasta that works perfectly with this sauce. 
Drain pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce… Toss to coat pasta, , add pasta water to loosen sauce if too thick. Sprinkle in generous amount of Pecorino Romano cheese and toss in some fresh basil or parsley for added freshness.
Serve immediately…Enjoy..Buon Appetito..
Kathleen Barbato…3 Italian Sisters ♥
- 1 lb bucatini pasta
- 4 oz.r pork jowl (guanciale) or pancetta, chopped
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
- ½ white onion, minced
- 1-28oz can plum tomatoes, blended or crushed by hand
- ¼ cup white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- Pecorino romano cheese
- n a large fry pan, cook the guanciale (pork jowl or pancetta) over medium heat for several minutes until crisp but not brown. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside, but leave the fat in the pan. Add the olive oil, onions and chili pepper and cook for several minutes until the onions are just soft but not browning.
- Add the white wine and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes (I just use my hand to crush them) and the juice and reserved cooked guanciale and cook over medium low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (firm but tender). With tongs, remove the pasta from the boiling water and place right into the tomato mixture. Thoroughly coat the pasta with the tomato mixture. Turn off heat and add the cheese, tossing well. Taste for salt and add if needed. Add some pasta water to loosen sauce if too thick. Serve immediately and pass extra Pecorino around. Robust red wine goes really good with this dish.
