Bucatini Amatriciana
A simple tomato passata sauce with chili, garlic, and crispy pancetta. Finish with grana padano and enjoy with a rich glass of Italian red wine.
Equipment
- Large Pot for Pasta
- Large saute pan
Ingredients
- ½ long red chili
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups passata
- 3 slices pancetta, thick cut
- 1 handful grana padano, shaved
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil on your stovetop and season heavily with salt.
- While water is coming to a boil, finely chop your chili and garlic cloves.
- Slice your thick cut pancetta into medium sized chunks.
- Drop the pasta in the salted water and set a timer for the cooking time on the package. If using bucatini, this would usually be around 11 minutes.
- In a large saute pan at a medium-high heat, fry the pancetta until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Using the remaining pancetta fat in the pan, saute the chili and garlic for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the passata. If there is quite a bit of fat left in the pan you might get some spattering, so pour with caution and be sure to protect your outfit with a kitchen apron. Reduce the heat to a low and cook the passata for about 8-10 minutes. By the time the pasta is al dente the sauce should be reduced sufficiently.
- Using tongs, remove the pasta from the boiling water and place directly into the passata. Ladle a bit of pasta water into the passata and stir to help emulsify the sauce. Serve in a shallow bowl and season with fresh pepper, a light drizzle of olive oil, and a generous shaving of grana padano cheese.