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BUCATINI ALL'AMATRICIANA (Bucatini with Spicy Tomato and Pancetta Sauce)

BUCATINI ALL'AMATRICIANA (Bucatini with Spicy Tomato and Pancetta Sauce)

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Serves: 4-5

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This is, at the moment, Coco's favourite pasta sauce.  She has always liked it, even when she was very young and I used to make it a little less hot.  You can do the same, adapting it slightly to please your Coco.  This is my original recipe revisited by Coco (less wine, more onion), who now makes the sauce totally by herself and serves it with penne, simply because penne are her favourite pasta shape.  But bucatini (spaghetti-like tubes) are the traditional shape for Amatriciana and usually all children love them because they are fun to suck up.

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Ingredients

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  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 350 grams pancetta cubes (unsmoked)
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 dried chilli (seeded and finely chopped)
  • 100 ml red wine
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes (450g)
  • 400 grams bucatini
  • 6 tablespoons mature Pecorino (grated)
  • sea salt (to taste)
  • freshly ground pepper (to taste)
  • Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (grated to serve)

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan large enough to contain the cooked pasta later and, when hot, throw in the pancetta and fry until crisp.  Remove it to a plate with a fish slice. 
  2. Now add the onion to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and saute for 7-8 minutes, until soft.  Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further minute, stirring frequently.  Splash with the wine and let it bubble away to reduce by half.  Pour in the chopped tomatoes and cook on moderate heat for about 20-25 minutes.
  3. Taste - your Coco's job - and add more salt if necessary and black pepper if you want, although the sauce is already quite hot due to the chilli.
  4. Cook the bucatini in plenty of salted water as usual.
  5. Drain thoroughly, giving the colander a few sharp shakes so that the water strapped in the holes of the bucatini comes out.
  6. Slide the pasta into the frying pan, add the pancetta, and shower with percorino. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, turning the bucatini over and over with 2 forks.
  7. Serve straight from the pan, with Parmesan handed round.

 

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  • Made this tonight and it was yummy. The pasta works well with the sauce, which is full of flavour. Will definitely be making again.

    Posted by Kltay23 on 22nd Mar 2013 at 20.34