Pasta all’ Amatriciana for lunch. Came out beautifully! Thank you to Lotti Sandra Rosyand Alessio Jm Da Prato my amici at Toscana Saporita Cooking School in Italy for your instruction and inspiration!
RECIPE:
Serves 2 as main course, 4 as starter course (primo)
Pasta imported Italian dry. (I used DeCecco), fusilli because I had half a box leftover. 1/2 box or 8 ounces.
Note: traditionally rigatoni or penne or mezze maniche are used in Amatriciana though in Rome, which adopted the dish, Bucatini (pasta straws) are more common. They are messy but fun!
1/2 red onion
8 ounces diced guanciale, pancetta, or bacon
Evoo
Chili flakes
Sea salt
Pepper
Fresh basil
Fresh Italian parsley
1 cup dry white wine (something you’d drink)
1 can San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed
Pecorino Romano fresh grated (and shaved over at the end)
Heat pot of water for pasta, salt before dropping pasta. Drop pasta once tomatoes are simmering in the pan.
Heat a sauté pan with evoo and the pancetta, let it render down/cook several minutes, stir, don’t let it burn.
Take off heat a minute, absorb some of the grease, put back on heat. Add chopped onion. Add pinch salt and chili flakes. Let cook a minute, then add wine, let reduce a couple minutes.
Add tomatoes. (Crushes with some fresh basil, sea salt)
Let cook a few minutes, stirring.
Pasta should be cooking now.
When sauce is tight (not too liquify), lower heat.
Strain pasta, reserve cup of cooking water
Add pasta to pan with sauce, turn up to medium high, add a little pasta water and let cook to amalgamate a couple minutes. If sauce is tight, add a little more cooking water.
After a couple minutes remove from heat, toss with some grated pecorino, plate.
Top with some chopped parsley and optional drizzle of evoo and shaved pecorino for garnish. Additional chili flakes at the table. Great summer night dish, can use garden or market fresh tomatoes, blanch and remove stem and seeds, crush if you like. Serve with a cold Italian birra, some Frascati white wine from Lazio or Mineral Water.
Buon’ Appetito!
