Pasta all'Amatriciana
One of four classic Roman pastas, and the only one with a tomato sauce. Bucatini or spaghetti with guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, a touch of chilli, and Pecorino Romano. The dish comes from Amatrice — a small mountain town in Lazio — and was brought to Rome by shepherds who traded in the city. It predates the tomato: the earlier version, Pasta alla Gricia, is the same dish without the tomatoes. The key is in the guanciale: cured pork cheek with a higher fat content than pancetta, it renders into the pan and flavors the tomato sauce with a deep, porky richness that no substitute fully replicates. The rules here are strict — no garlic, no onion, no herbs — because the dish doesn't need them.
Ingredients
- 400 gbucatini or spaghetti
- 150 gguanciale, cut into 1 cm strips or cubes
- 400 gwhole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 60 mldry white wine
- 1 dried peperoncino or ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 60 gPecorino Romano, very finely grated
- 1 pinchfine salt
- 1 pinchfreshly ground black pepper
Method
- Render the guanciale slowly. Place the guanciale strips in a cold, wide pan — no oil, no butter, nothing else. Turn the heat to medium-low. The guanciale needs to render its fat gradually: the goal is soft, slightly golden pieces swimming in their own melted fat, not crisped meat with burnt edges. This takes 10 to 12 minutes and cannot be rushed. The rendered fat is the base of the sauce — it must be abundant, clear, and fragrant. Once the guanciale is lightly golden and has given up most of its fat, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave all the fat in the pan.
- Deglaze with wine and build the tomato sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the white wine to the hot guanciale fat. It will sizzle and evaporate quickly — this deglazing lifts the flavor compounds stuck to the pan and adds a faint acidity that brightens the tomatoes. Let the wine reduce by half — about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and the dried peperoncino or chilli flakes. Stir, season with a small pinch of salt (remembering that guanciale and Pecorino will add more), and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 18 minutes until the sauce has thickened, the tomatoes have broken down, and the fat from the guanciale has visibly integrated into the sauce.
- Cook the pasta and bring it together. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Reserve at least 200 ml of starchy pasta water before draining. Remove the dried chilli from the sauce if using a whole one. Return the guanciale to the sauce. Add the drained pasta directly to the pan and toss over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and help it coat every strand. The pasta should finish cooking in the sauce.
- Finish with Pecorino and serve. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the finely grated Pecorino Romano and toss quickly — the residual heat and the starch in the pasta water will melt the cheese into a light, glossy coating rather than clumping. If the Pecorino seizes or clumps, add a splash of warm pasta water and toss harder. Taste and adjust pepper. Serve immediately in warmed bowls with extra Pecorino grated at the table.
- On serving: Amatriciana is served without olive oil drizzled over, without fresh herbs, and without bread crumbs. It is complete as it is. The Pecorino is the finish — be generous. The guanciale pieces should be visible and plentiful on each plate. If a guest wants more chilli, put a small dish of flakes on the table.
FAQ
Guanciale is cured and seasoned pork cheek or jowl. It is fattier than pancetta (which comes from the belly) and has a softer, silkier texture when rendered, with a more intense pork flavor and higher collagen content that gives the sauce body. Pancetta is the standard substitute and works well — add a tablespoon of olive oil when rendering it since it is leaner. Unsmoked bacon lardons are an emergency substitute; smoked bacon changes the flavor profile noticeably and is not recommended. Outside Italy, guanciale can be found in Italian delis, some specialist butchers, or ordered online.
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Comments (1)
The widest pan you own works best for pasta all'amatriciana. Maximum surface area means faster evaporation, more concentrated sauce, and better coating. A deep pot keeps things too wet.