Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Just like carbonara, this dish has so many opinions on what classifies as authentic. This is a traditional version of bucatini all’Amatriciana, sure to offend as few people as possible. Enjoy with a pétillant natural rosé for a wonderful contrast against a rich, pork-fat centered dish.
GATHER (2-3 servings)
500g of dried bucatini
225g of guanciale
60g of pecorino romano
2.5 cups of tomato passata
1tsp of chili flakes
Salt
PREPARE the ingredients
Clean the guanciale and cut into generously-sized cubes or cube-based shapes. (I prefer larger chunks; make sure to have a mixture of fat and meat in each cube.)
Through a find grinder or food processor, process 60g of pecorino romano. Divide in half, as one half will be used to finish the sauce and the other half for garnish.
ASSEMBLE the dish
Place the cubed guanciale in a cold pan without oil, and over low heat begin to render. Rendering should take about 8-10 minutes.
While the guanciale is rendering, begin bringing a large, heavily-salted pot of water to a boil.
After the guanciale is rendered, spoon out about 1/3 of the fat. Add the 2.5 cups of tomato passata and the chili flakes, and bring the heat up to medium.
Simmer the sauce for about 10-12 minutes. Reduction of the sauce is not the goal, as to preserve the acidity of the tomatoes.
Boil the bucatini, and set a timer for 3-4 minutes less than the packaged instructions for al dente to check on the doneness. When the bucatini is chewable and has a faint, dried portion around the center, transfer directly to the tomato sauce without draining. Add an additional ladle of pasta water.
Mix the bucatini with the tomato sauce over high heat, working quickly to incorporate without overcooking the noodles. Then, add the grated pecorino romano and toss, and serve immediately, liberally garnished with additional pecorino romano.
