Recipe

Authentic Amatriciana with Guanciale

Name: Authentic Amatriciana with Guanciale
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g bucatini or spaghetti; 80–90 g guanciale; 300 g peeled tomatoes (or good crushed tomatoes); 40 g grated pecorino Romano; Black pepper; Optional pinch of chili; Salt for pasta water

Tomato, pecorino, pepper, and guanciale — a sauce that should taste cured and savory before it tastes “red.”

Plated pasta amatriciana with guanciale — Tomato built on rendered guanciale fat — not the other way around.

Ingredients (2 servings)

200 g bucatini or spaghetti
80–90 g guanciale
300 g peeled tomatoes (or good crushed tomatoes)
40 g grated pecorino Romano
Black pepper
Optional pinch of chili
Salt for pasta water

Method

Amatriciana sauce with tomato and guanciale in a pan — Render first, then simmer tomatoes in the seasoned fat.

Cut guanciale into strips and render slowly until the fat is liquid and the meat is lightly browned. Spoon out a little fat only if the pan looks excessive.
Add tomatoes. Simmer until the sauce thickens and tastes concentrated. Season with black pepper and chili if using. Go easy on salt until the end — guanciale and pecorino are salty.
Cook pasta until just al dente. Transfer it into the sauce with splashes of pasta water. Toss until the noodles are coated.
Off the heat, add pecorino and toss again until the sauce turns glossy. Serve immediately.

Guanciale tip

Do not rush the render. Pale, under-rendered fat makes the tomato sauce greasy instead of integrated. Technique notes: how to cook guanciale.