ItalyThe Amatriciana debate that surfaces most often online is whether to include garlic and onion. The town of Amatrice, where the dish originates, registers it officially without either — and the Comune di Amatrice has a registered recipe on record. The Roman version sometimes includes onion. Both are delicious. If you add garlic or onion, you are not wrong — you are making the Roman trattoria version rather than the Amatrice original. What matters more than this debate is the guanciale: without real guanciale, the dish has less depth and the rendered fat — which is the actual medium for the tomato — is less rich. Pancetta works; bacon is acceptable in emergencies but adds smokiness that changes the character.
The white wine step is traditional and worth keeping even if it seems minor. The acidity from the wine balances the fat from the guanciale and brightens the tomatoes. Use something you would actually drink — not cooking wine. Frascati (the traditional Roman choice), Pinot Grigio, Orvieto, or any dry white you have open. It makes a difference.
Pasta all'Amatriciana
By Sergei Martynov
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 flavours 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.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 400 g
See recipes with bucatini or spaghettibucatini or spaghetti
i - 150 g
See recipes with guancialeguanciale (cured pork cheek), cut into 1 cm strips or cubes
i - 400 g
See recipes with whole peeled san marzano tomatoeswhole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
i - 60 ml
See recipes with dry white winedry white wine (Frascati, Pinot Grigio, or any dry white)
i - 1
See recipes with dried peperoncino or ½ tsp chilli flakesdried peperoncino (whole) or ½ tsp chilli flakes
i - 60 g
See recipes with pecorino romanoPecorino Romano, very finely grated — plus more to serve
i - 1 pinchSee recipes with fine salt — barely any: guanciale and pecorino are both very salty
fine salt — barely any: guanciale and Pecorino are both very salty
i - 1 pinch
See recipes with freshly ground black pepperfreshly ground black pepper
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
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 flavour 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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is guanciale and what can you substitute?
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 flavour 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 flavour profile noticeably and is not recommended. Outside Italy, guanciale can be found in Italian delis, some specialist butchers, or ordered online.
Should Amatriciana include garlic or onion?
The original recipe from Amatrice, as registered by the town itself, includes neither garlic nor onion. The Roman version, as served in most trattorias in Rome, sometimes includes onion. Both are considered legitimate. Adding garlic or onion will produce a deeper, more complex sauce but will move the dish away from the strict Amatrice tradition. If you add onion: cook it slowly in the rendered guanciale fat until soft and golden before adding the wine and tomatoes. If you add garlic: a single sliced clove, briefly sautéed after the guanciale is rendered.
What pasta shape is best for Amatriciana?
Bucatini is the Roman choice and the most traditionally associated shape — the hollow tube catches the sauce inside and the thick diameter holds up to the chunky guanciale. Spaghetti is the Amatrice original and the more practical everyday option. Rigatoni and mezze maniche (half rigatoni) work well for a heartier, more substantial result. Short pasta fans will find rigatoni particularly satisfying because the guanciale pieces fit into the tube. Avoid very fine pasta like angel hair or spaghettini — too delicate for this sauce.
Can you make Amatriciana without wine?
Yes. The wine step deglazes the pan and adds a light acidity that brightens the tomatoes. If you skip it: add the tomatoes directly to the hot fat, or deglaze with a splash of pasta water instead. The result will be slightly richer and less bright but still excellent. Some versions of Amatriciana do not include wine at all and rely solely on the tomato acidity for balance.
What is the difference between Amatriciana and Gricia?
Pasta alla Gricia is often described as 'white Amatriciana' or the ancestor of Amatriciana. It uses the same guanciale and Pecorino Romano but no tomatoes — the sauce is built entirely from the rendered fat and pasta water, finished with cheese, very similarly to Cacio e Pepe but with the guanciale adding another dimension. Amatriciana was created when tomatoes became a staple ingredient in central Italian cooking (roughly the 18th century). Gricia is considered older and represents the dish before the tomato arrived.
USA
Uzbekistan
Join the conversation
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.