Bucatini All’Amatriciana
I ate this dish at Babbo a few years back and was blown away. There was such a richness to it as well as a simplicity that seemed to encapsulate the essence of what people love about Italian food. Of course, I left that first dinner at Babbo obsessed with the beef cheek ravioli, so I didn’t make Amatriciana sauce at home until I found a source for guanciale and immediately pulled out the Babbo recipe. I was amazed at how easy it was to make and flabbergasted that I had forgotten how good it was and that it had taken so long for me to make it at home.
Amatriciana sauce is one of the most well-known and celebrated sauces in Roman and Italian cuisine. Based on guanciale (cured pig jowls/cheeks), cheese and tomatoes, it is both hardy and substantial without being heavy or fatty. And if you can’t find guanciale, pancetta and bacon work too. Bucatini is fast becoming my favorite pasta shape, like thick spaghetti, but hollow (like a straw or garden hose) it has a chewy texture that holds onto rich sauces really well. You can use any pasta you like, but if you haven’t tried bucatini, I would definitely recommend it.
1 red onion, halved and sliced ½-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 ½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups basic tomato sauce (see recipe below)
1 pound bucatini
1 handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Cheese, for grating (Pecorino Romano is great but I have Parmigiano Reggiano most regularly in the house)Bring a big pot of water to a boil (you want to give the bucatini ample room) and add a couple of tblsps of salt.
Place the guanciale in a sauté pan in a single layer and cook over medium-low heat until most of the fat has been rendered from the meat, turning occasionally. Remove the guanciale to a plate lined with paper towels and discard half the fat, leaving enough to coat the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Return the guanciale to the pan with the vegetables, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the onions, garlic and guanciale are light golden brown. Add the tomato sauce, season with salt/pepper to taste, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Cook the bucatini in the boiling water according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta (reserving some of the pasta water) and add it to the simmering sauce. Add the parsley leaves, increase the heat to high and toss to coat. If the pasta looks too dry, you can add some of the reserved pasta water. Serve pasta on warmed dishes, top with freshly grated cheese and serve.
BASIC TOMATO SAUCE (Makes 4 cups)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion (I like Spanish or red)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tblsp tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 rib of celery
2 (28 ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes,
Salt, to taste
I prefer my basic tomato sauce to be very smooth, so I use a food processor*. You can also dice your vegetables really finely or puree it at the end. This is a great base sauce for lasagna as well, or spaghetti and meatballs.
In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Put the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in a food processor and process until very finely chopped, almost smooth, then add it to the hot oil. Cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the thyme, and cook 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and juice to the food processor, process unttil smooth then add to the pot with the vegetables, stirring often. ** Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt to taste (black pepper too, if you like) and serve.
**A little glug of white or red wine (depending on how you will be using the sauce) is a nice addition here as well.
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