Amatriciana is one of the four iconic Roman pasta dishes, but it doesn’t get the respect it deserves in my opinion! It is the only Roman pasta that has tomatoes as the sauce, so if you are a tomato sauce person, you will like this pasta. The other ingredients include guanciale, kind of like pancetta, pecorino romano cheese, pasta, and salt. The guanciale is a rich pork that combines with the tomatoes to make a delicious sauce. It is a must if you are an Italian pasta lover!
Want to check out the other Roman pastas? See my Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara recipes!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Guanciale or Pancetta – This gives the dish it’s signature flavor, adding rich, savory depth. Guanciale is traditional but pancetta is a widely available substitute.
- Whole Peeled Crushed Tomatoes – Forms the base of the sauce. San Marzano tomatoes are highly recommended here for the best flavor.
- Gluten Free Rigatoni – I like rigatoni, but any shape works. Rummo has a great GF Rigatoni that holds up well when cooked.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Adds a subtle heat throughout the sauce. Omit if you don’t like spice.
- Pecorino, grated – Very traditional roman cheese. Parmesan can substitute but will be milder in flavor.
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Amatriciana – Roman Pasta
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup guanciale or pancetta, diced
- 2.5 cups crushed canned tomaotes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 oz rigatoni (I use Rummo GF)
- 1 cup pecorino romano, grated, plus more for garnish
Preparation:
STEP 1.
In a cold stainless steel pan over, add the guanciale. Place over medium heat and saute until it is crispy, around 8-13 minutes. Once crispy, remove the pork and set aside. If there is a lot of fat, drain off some and let there be around 2 Tbsp left in the pot.
STEP 2.
In the same pan over medium heat, stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the red pepper flakes. Bring it up to a low bubble and simmer for 15-20 minutes to develop flavor and thicken.
STEP 3.
While the sauce is cooking, boil the pasta. In a boiling pot of salted water, cook the pasta. Cook for 2 minutes less than the box instructs.
STEP 4.
Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and stir in 1-2 ladles of the starchy pasta water. Stir as it finishes cooking and as the sauce comes together. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce and finish cooking the pasta.
STEP 5.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and let it cool for one minute, then stir in the pecorino cheese. You want to make sure it isn’t cooking while you stir in the cheese or it will seperate.
STEP 6.
Serve topped with the crispy guanciale and more pecorino. Enjoy!
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