Classic Pasta Amatriciana (Authentic Roman Recipe)
A classic pasta amatriciana with a rich tomato sauce, crispy guanciale and pecorino cheese. Simple to make but seriously impressive.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 grams guanciale cut into small pieces, see notes
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 x 400 gram can whole tomatoes
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 30 grams pecorino (or parmesan) finely grated
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
Instructions
- Blend the canned tomatoes until smooth. Rinse the can with ½ cup water and add that to the tomatoes before blending.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the guanciale, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden and the fat has rendered.
- Remove the guanciale with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the garlic (and red pepper flakes if using) and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds. Lower the heat if needed.
- Add the white wine and simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Add the blended tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes. Add the guanciale back in halfway through.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta until just under al dente, then reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Add the pasta to the sauce with ½ cup pasta water and toss well. Let it gently bubble for 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats the pasta.
- Turn the heat to low and add the pecorino, tossing continuously until melted and glossy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with extra pecorino.
Notes
Guanciale - Guanciale is best, it gives the sauce its signature flavor, but pancetta can be used as a substitute if needed. Let it slowly render so you get crispy pieces and plenty of flavorful fat for the sauce.
Undercook your pasta slightly - It will finish cooking in the sauce and help everything come together.
Tomatoes - Please try and find really good quality Italian tomatoes (San Marzano ideally) if you can. Whole peeled canned tomatoes are generally superior quality than chopped.
Cheese - The traditional cheese for this recipe is pecorino romano, use parmesan if that is what you have. It needs to be really finely grated.
Double the recipe - this recipe is easy to double for 4 people, note that you will need to simmer the sauce for slightly longer as there is more of it.