This ultra simple tomato-based pasta dish originates from Amatrice, a town in North-East Lazio. The traditional recipe uses Bucatini pasta (which is a bit like a thick spaghetti with a hole in), but spaghetti is a pretty good substitute. This pasta sauce is so famous that it is recognised as a traditional dish of Lazio by the Italian ministry of agriculture, food and forestry.
You will need (for 4):
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
(yes, this recipe involves a bit of chopping)
- 120g cubed panchetta (or Guanciale -dried pork cheek- if you can find it. This is what the original Amatriciana is made with.)
- 500g fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes)
- 500g Bucatini or spaghetti
- Pecorino or parmesan for grating
Time:
45 mins - 1 hour (depending on how good you are at chopping)
Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the panchetta or guanciale until crispy and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving the oil behind.
Fry the onion, garlic and chilli until the onions are soft, (but don't let them brown).
Add the tomatoes to the pan with the onion, garlic and chilli, and season.
Simmer until the sauce has thickened and lost its 'watery' appearance. Add the bacon back into the pan with the sauce.
Boil the pasta according to the instructions. Beautiful pasta, isn't it?
When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and then return the pasta to the pan. Pour over the sauce, mix well, top with the grated cheese and serve. Simple!
2 comments:
Oh wow, I didn't know about your blog until your twitter follow. Thanks for allowing me to find you and your blog and how funny is it that I just posted a bucatini all'amatriciana with nearly the same shot of the pasta as yours! I look forward to perusing your blog more closely.
Hi Linda, thanks for the comment! I saw your amatriciana post and noticed the picture! It is such a photogenic pasta ;) Love your blog btw!
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