Amatriciana

Ingredients:

  • extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp
  • guanciale, thinly sliced, 4 oz
  • crushed red pepper flakes, 0.5 tsp
  • black pepper, freshly ground, 0.5 tsp
  • onion, finely chopped, 0.75 cup
  • garlic, finely chopped, 2 cloves
  • whole peeled tomatoes, 28 oz
  • kosher salt
  • bucatini or spaghetti, 12 oz
  • Pecorino Romano, finely grated, 1 oz

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Cook guanciale until crisp and golden, ~4 min. Add pepper flakes and black pepper; stir 10 seconds. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, ~8 min. Crush tomatoes by hand into pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thickened, 15–20 min.

  2. Boil pasta in salted water until 2 min shy of al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

  3. Add pasta to sauce, toss vigorously. Add ½ cup pasta water and cook until sauce coats pasta and reaches al dente, ~2 min. Adjust with more pasta water if needed. Stir in Pecorino off heat.