I honestly debated on titling this recipe, “Italian Bacon Pasta,” but even though that is essentially what this is, it does not give the dish justice. You see, Bucatini all’Amatriciana is much more than that. It’s a dish that you can prepare for a night in, a date night, or maybe for your parents (I mean, they just do so much for you). I mean, this would be the perfect Valentine’s Day dish for whoever your honey is, even if it’s just yourself.
Regardless of who you’re cooking this for, it’ll be a hit. It’s simple, it’s fresh, yet indulgent…and this Bucatini all’Amatriciana recipe is something that I’ve been working on for quite some time to perfect before I shared it with all of you. Now, the story about my love for this pasta came from when I was about 14 years old and went to Williams Sonoma with my mom and saw a jar of Amatriciana sauce. I was mesmerized by it. The flavor combination sounded just amazing, and I’m not even one to eat like a lot of bacon.
Anyway, I was obsessed with the idea of one day trying this sauce (my mom wouldn’t buy it…who knows why!). So when Eataly came to Chicago, much to my delight (it’s like Disney World to me), I had to try the Bucatini all’ Amatriciana. And I loved it. I dreamt of it. I purposely set up friend dinner dates at Eataly so I could have this pasta. My friend Ashley and I actually go to Eataly to have this exact meal every time she visits me in Chicago.
So then I decided to make it myself. I did a bunch of research, and then I realized, “Where am I going to get guanciale?” Well, I’m sure I could get that fancy pork jowl at Eataly, but I wasn’t about to drop a dime on some pork face, so I did the next best thing: PANCETTA. Say it with me, PAN-CHE-TA. Yes, when cooked properly and right…which is crispy and crunchy, the pancetta almost mimics the rich flavor of the guanciale.
It’s perfect, it’s great, but the key is to cook the pork first, and then add it at the very end so you still get that beautiful, crispy texture with the flavors of the sauce you so carefully developed thanks to the fat that was rendered from the pancetta. I’d be lying if I didn’t say this might be my favorite meal of all time (that I cook, at least). It was well worth the effort of pining over this sauce for almost a decade, testing, retesting and finally getting my own Bucatini all’Amatriciana recipe I love down to a science. I hope you all love it, too. If you have questions, leave a comment! I’d love to hear how it turned out for you.
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Calories: 597
Servings: 4
Fat: 12.4
Carbs: 104.4
Protein: 23.5
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 1.5 tbsp of fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp of fresh basil
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 3.5 oz of pancetta
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 28 oz of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of water
- 1 pound of bucatini pasta
- a pinch or two of salt and pepper
Optional: Serve with fresh herbs or parmesan cheese!
Directions
- First things first, get a giant pot of water and begin the boiling process. This should always be the first thing you do, so you can begin cooking the pasta once your other ingredients are cooking
- Slice your onion, chop up your herbs and garlic, and set them aside.
- Take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut your pancetta into small pieces, equal sized pieces. Trust me on this one, it’s so much easier to use scissors to cut bacon than it is to use a knife!
- Spray your frying pan and add the pancetta. Cook pancetta until it is crisp, and remove from pan onto a plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil from your newly acquired bacon sprinkles. Leave oil rendered from the pancetta in the frying pan.
- Add your olive oil to the pancetta oil in your pan and begin to cook your red onions. Once onions begin to soften, add your garlic.
- Once onions and garlic are translucent, but not over cooked, add in your tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and water. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Bring your sauce to an easy boil (there should be some bubbles, but no splashes), and then bring back down to a simmer. If you need to add more water at this time, add up to another 1/2 cup. Simmer your sauce up for 10-30 minutes. The longer you simmer, the more the flavors will develop!
- Once water is boiling in your pot, add your bucatini. Cook for about 10-14 minutes, or until al dente or preferred texture.
- After sauce has been simmering and your pasta is cooked, add in the pancetta back into the sauce. Stir until combined.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until completely coated.
- Serve your amazing dish with fresh herbs or parmesan cheese.