This pasta l’amatriciana has been on heavy repeat in our house the last few months. It is the ultimate marriage between a carbonara and a red sauce recipe. I found this from one of my favorite social media cooks, Meredith Hayden from Wishbone Kitchen. It is comforting and has the perfect amount of heat for any night. It comes together quickly and is hearty and sure to satisfy your family or guests. Enjoy!
Pasta L’Amatriciana
Ingredients
- 8 oz guanciale or pancetta, small dice
- 1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp calabrian chilis
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 24 oz jar of tomato puree, I like Mutti
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- Mezze rigatoni, I like Barilla Al Bronzo
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Prepare
- First, heat a large dutch oven over medium low heat. Add a splash of olive oil and the guanciale and cook until the fat is rendered out and the guanciale is golden brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the guanciale to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Pour off any excess fat, leaving about 1-2 tbsp in the pan. Add in the yellow onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Then add the garlic, calabrian chilis, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato puree and use a wooden spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Add ¾ of the guancaile back into the pan and simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly. About 15-20 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta. I like to use a textured short pasta that scoops up all of that delicious sauce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook until al dente.
- Transfer the pasta directly into the sauce along with a few splashes of pasta water and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. The pasta should soak up the sauce. If the sauce gets too dry at any point, add more pasta water.
- Turn off the heat, add the parmesan and butter, plus more pasta water if needed. Toss to combine until the cheese has melted and the sauce is glossy.
- Finally, top the pasta with additional parmesan the remaining crispy guanciale, and lots of fresh cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
