Pasta all'Amatriciana (Roman Guanciale Tomato Pasta)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Pasta all'Amatriciana uses the clear fat slowly rendered from guanciale as the base of its tomato sauce, while a crisp portion of the pork is reserved for the final Pecorino topping.
Read more
For 2 servings, prepare 200 g bucatini, 120 g guanciale, 300 g whole canned tomatoes, 40 g Pecorino Romano, 60 g onion, 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 0.75 teaspoon salt. Cut the guanciale into batons thick enough to crisp without drying out. Finely chop the onion and crush the tomatoes by hand before heating the pan. Put the olive oil and guanciale in a pan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often, until the fat renders clear and the edges become crisp. Lift out a small portion for topping and leave the rendered fat behind. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until softened and sweet. Stir in the chili flakes for only 20 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat for 12 minutes. Cook the bucatini in water seasoned with the salt until al dente and reserve 120 ml pasta water before draining. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss over high heat for 1 minute. Splash in the starchy water gradually until the sauce looks glossy and coats the hollow noodles. Turn off the heat and finish with the Pecorino and reserved guanciale.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Cut 120 g guanciale into batons that are not too thin so they crisp without drying out.
Finely chop 60 g onion, then crush 300 g whole canned tomatoes by hand before the pan gets hot.
- 2Control
Put 1 tablespoon olive oil and the guanciale in a pan over medium-low heat.
Cook about 6 minutes, stirring often, until the fat turns clear and rendered and the edges look crisp, not burnt.
- 3Control
When the guanciale is crisp, lift out a small portion for topping and leave the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, just until softened and sweet.
- 4Control
Add 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes and stir for only 20 seconds so the spice blooms without scorching.
Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for 12 minutes, until sharper acidity softens.
- 5Finish
Cook 200 g bucatini in water seasoned with 0.75 teaspoon salt until al dente.
Before draining, reserve 120 ml pasta water, because its starch will loosen the sauce and help it cling to the hollow pasta.
- 6Finish
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss over high heat for 1 minute, splashing in pasta water until glossy and coating.
Turn off the heat, then finish with 40 g Pecorino Romano and reserved guanciale.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Rendered guanciale fat provides the savory, smoky backbone for this Roman Pasta all'Amatriciana.
- Finish cue
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss over high heat for 1 minute, splashing in pasta water until glossy and coating.
- Avoid this
- Do not over-reduce the sauce to keep fresh tomato brightness.
How Substitutions Change the Result
The taste, texture, nutrition, or cooking adjustment to expect when swapping an ingredient.
- Pancetta works as a substitute, but reduce added salt.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
40min, 8 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
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