Pasta Amatriciana
Authentic Roman pasta with crispy guanciale, tomatoes, and Pecorino Romano. This 25-minute one-pan dish delivers bold, savory flavor with minimal ingredients.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 612
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 4 oz guanciale or pancetta, unsliced
- 14 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 oz Pecorino Romano cheese
- 8 oz spaghetti or bucatini pasta
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Slice the guanciale or pancetta crosswise into thin strips about 1/8-inch thick, like cutting bacon. You should have roughly 1 cup of strips.
- 2
Hold the can of tomatoes over a small bowl and pour out the liquid, letting it drain through your fingers; set the drained tomatoes aside.
- 3
Finely grate the Pecorino Romano on a microplane or the smallest holes of a box grater until you have about 1/2 cup of fluffy grated cheese.
- 4
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat, about 8 minutes. You should see large bubbles breaking continuously across the surface.
- 5
While water heats, place the guanciale strips in a 12-inch skillet and set over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the fat renders and edges turn golden and crispy, about 6 minutes.
- 6
Once guanciale is crispy, carefully pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat into a small cup (save it for another use); keep the crispy meat in the skillet.
- 7
Pour the drained tomatoes into the skillet with the guanciale, breaking them gently with the back of a wooden spoon into roughly 1-inch pieces.
- 8
Stir the tomatoes and guanciale together, then reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer without a lid for 10 minutes, stirring once every 2 minutes.
- 9
When boiling water is ready, add the spaghetti and stir immediately with a fork to separate the strands, then let cook uncovered until tender but still slightly firm when you bite it, about 9 minutes.
- 10
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water in a measuring cup or small bowl, then drain the cooked pasta in a colander.
- 11
Pour the hot drained pasta directly into the skillet with the tomato sauce and guanciale, then toss together using tongs or two forks until every strand is coated, about 30 seconds.
- 12
If the pasta looks dry, add the reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time, tossing gently until the sauce coats each strand lightly and flows like lava, not soup.
- 13
Taste the pasta and add a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper if needed, then toss once more.
- 14
Divide the hot pasta between two shallow bowls, twirling each portion onto a fork so it forms a nest in the center of the bowl.
- 15
Sprinkle roughly 3 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano over each portion in an even layer covering the top.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot
- 12-inch skillet
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- wooden spoon
- fork or tongs
- microplane or box grater
- measuring cup
- colander
- small bowl
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