Bucatini all'Amatriciana-ish
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
¾ lb
bucatini
1 tbsp
olive oil
¼ lb
pancetta, cut into ½-inch dice
1 sm
red onion, thinly sliced
2
cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ tsp
crushed red pepper flakes
28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
½ c
chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
½ c
grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Bucatini all’Amatriciana-ish
This Roman dish generally calls for guanciale (cured pig jowl), but I like to use pancetta, which is more readily available and can be found at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, bacon works, too, but will give the sauce a smokier flavor (I’ve used in it in the past with great results). I also opt for red onions as opposed to the yellow variety. Their sweetness couples nicely with this spicy, salty sauce, plus their pink color strewn throughout the sauce makes for a vibrant contrast.
Also see: Pasta Don’t Preach: Why You Should Cook by Pasta Shape, Not Name
4 Servings
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of the salt and return to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce: Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes more.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet, crush them with a spatula or the back of a spoon, and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper and allow it to simmer while the pasta finishes cooking.
- Add the pasta and parsley directly to the skillet and toss to combine, adding ¼ cup of pasta water or more (up to 1 cup) as needed to loosen up the sauce. Add the Pecorino Romano and reserved pancetta and toss again.
- Plate in bowls and pass Pecorino Romano at the table, if desired.
Excerpted from Back Pocket Pasta by Colu Henry, copyright © 2017, published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
