Classic Amatriciana Pasta (Roman-style)
A great recipe for this classic, all-time favourite delicious Italian pasta.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
100 grams guanciale cut into small pieces, see notes
3 garlic cloves finely minced
¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
1 x 400 gram can whole tomatoes peeled
¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
30 grams pecorino (or parmesan) finely grated
200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
Instructions
Blend the canned tomatoes until smooth. Rinse the can with ½ cup water and add that to the tomatoes before blending.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the guanciale, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden and the fat has rendered.
Remove the guanciale with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the garlic (and red pepper flakes if using) and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds. Lower the heat if needed.
Add the white wine and simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly reduced.
Add the blended tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes. Add the guanciale back in halfway through.
While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta until just under al dente, then reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
Add the pasta to the sauce with ½ cup pasta water and toss well. Let it gently bubble for 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats the pasta.
Turn the heat to low and add the pecorino, tossing continuously until melted and glossy.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with extra pecorino.
Notes
Guanciale - Guanciale is best, it gives the sauce its signature flavor, but pancetta can be used as a substitute if needed. Let it slowly render so you get crispy pieces and plenty of flavorful fat for the sauce.
Undercook your pasta slightly - It will finish cooking in the sauce and help everything come together.
Tomatoes - Please try and find really good quality Italian tomatoes (San Marzano ideally) if you can. Whole peeled canned tomatoes are generally superior quality than chopped.
Cheese - The traditional cheese for this recipe is pecorino romano, use parmesan if that is what you have. It needs to be really finely grated.
Double the recipe - this recipe is easy to double for 4 people, note that you will need to simmer the sauce for slightly longer as there is more of it.
