Bucatini All'Amatriciana
Rich tomato sauce spiced up with Calabrian chili gives this traditional dish a new twist.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 can whole tomatoes, 28 oz
- 10 whole calabrian chili peppers, stems removed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lb bacon, or pancetta or guanciale
- 1/2 lb bucatini pasta, or pasta of your choice
How I Make It
- Chop the bacon into bite size pieces (how big is up to you). Start with a cold pan and slowly cook the bacon until the fat has rendered and it is done to your liking. Drain and set aside, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the bacon fat.
- Crush the whole tomatoes by hand or use a hand blender. You can use pre-crushed tomatoes or tomato puree, but whole tomatoes are higher quality.
- Puree chilies, garlic, olive oil, and a little bit of the tomato sauce until smooth and there are no more large chunks of chili skins. Set aside.
- Cook your pasta (slightly under al dente) according to the packet instructions. I try to time this so that it is ready the same time as my sauce.
- On medium heat, add some bacon fat to the pan and cook the chili puree mixture for a minute or two. Add the crushed tomatoes and continue to cook the sauce, on medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes. You can let this simmer happily along until your pasta is done cooking.
- When the pasta is done, scoop and add it directly into the sauce. The pasta will continue to cook (and finish in the sauce) hence why it is important to undercook it initially. Add the bacon back in. Mix everything through on medium heat.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning (salt) if necessary. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I do not add any salt to this recipe because the Calabrian chilies and the bacon already bring a lot of salt to this dish. I recommend you do the same and add salt at the very end (if you still need it) after the whole sauce comes together.