Pasta Amatriciana

The famous sauce from Amatrice, grown into a pasta classic in Rome. One pan for the sauce, one pot for the pasta — and by transferring the bucatini with tongs (instead of draining it) the pasta soaks up the sauce completely.

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the whole clove of garlic (skin on) and sauté until lightly browned. Remove and discard.
2. Increase the heat and fry the pancetta until starting to crisp, then add the chilli flakes and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and cook, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan — that’s where the flavour lives.
4. Crush the tomatoes in a large bowl with your hands or a fork and add them to the sauce. Bring to a simmer.
5. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just cooked but al dente, about 10 minutes.
6. Using tongs, transfer the pasta straight into the sauce. Cook over a high heat, stirring, until the pasta is done and the sauce has thickened and coated every strand.
7. Remove from the heat, add the cheese and stir to coat. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Flow

Notes

• No bucatini? Spaghetti works too, but bucatini’s thick hollow strand holds the sauce even better.
• No pancetta? Smoked bacon bits are a fine substitute — fry them until crispy exactly the same way.
• Prefer without wine? Replace with chicken or vegetable stock — slightly less depth, still delicious.
• No Pecorino? Parmesan is a fine substitute.
• The authentic version uses guanciale instead of pancetta; smoked pancetta or bacon are the easy-to-find stand-ins.
• Traditionalists leave out the garlic — we like it just the way it is.