Bucatini all'Amatriciana

By susanwadle

Ingredients

• 4 oz. guanciale, pancetta or bacon, diced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Italian sweet pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 can Italian tomatoes, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 1 pound bucatini or spaghetti
• 3/4 cup grated pecorino cheese

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from copywriterskitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large pasta pot, heat four quarts of salted water for the bucatini. (Bucatini is long, slender hollow pasta. If you can’t find it, substitute spaghetti.)
In a medium-sized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium flame.
Chop the guanciale, pancetta or bacon. Guanciale is smoked pork jowl. You can buy grass-fed smoked pork jowl or bacon from Sap Bush Hollow Farm—always my first choice for delicious, humanely raised meat. (Tell owner Adele Hayes that Lorraine Thompson sent you.) You can also buy imported guanciale at better Italian salumerias. There are a number in the Bronx, New York City’s Arthur Avenue neighborhood, see here. Vegetarians, leave out the pork altogether.
Okay. If you’re using pork, add it to the heated olive oil—oil should be heated to just below smoking point before adding pork. Throw in the pork, stirring to cook on all sides. Lower the flame to keep the meat from browning. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Stir in the diced Italian peppers and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until Italian peppers soften—about 5 minutes.
Pour in the white wine. Bring to boil. Lower flame and simmer until wine almost completely evaporates.
If using meat, use slotted spoon to remove pork. Reserve.
Add the tomatoes to the peppers and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add salt, if needed—guanciale is very salty.
Add reserved meat and stir. Keep on lowest flame while you boil the bucatini or other pasta until al dente.
Drain pasta, then toss it back into the pot.
Pour sauce over pasta, add cheese and toss until pasta is well coated. Spoon pasta into large bowl and serve immediately. Pass extra cheese at table.