The Delicious Bucatini Amatriciana That Never Fails To Impress.

How to make Bucatini Amatriciana. This recipe is easy to make, tastes fantastic & is also really cheap. Amatriciana is a tomato sauce-based pasta that traditionally uses guanciale (pork jowl or pig cheek), but in this case, we used pancetta as it’s more accessible. Bucatini pasta is then tossed through the sauce to create a wonderful, fresh & full of flavour dish garnished with pecorino romano cheese, fresh basil leaves & freshly cracked black pepper. 

Bucatini Amatriciana

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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 854kcal
Servings: 2 People

Ingredients

  • 150 g Guanciale Pork Jowl
  • 400 g Whole Tomatoes Squeezed
  • 15 ml Olive Oil
  • 30 ml Dry White Wine
  • 300 g Bucatini Pasta
  • 4 g White Sugar
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste
  • Pecorino Romano Cheese To Serve
  • Fresh Basil To Serve
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Serve
  • Cracked Black Pepper To Serve

Method

  • Place a large saucepan filled ¾ full of water over high heat, generously season with salt, and bring to a boil.
  • Add the whole tomatoes in their juices into a mixing bowl and, using your hands or a masher, smash the tomatoes into coarse chunks.
  • Add the olive oil and guanciale or pancetta to a large skillet while it's still cold. Place over medium-low heat and cook slowly, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes to render out the fat, or until golden brown.
  • Pour in the white wine (or stock) and cook to reduce for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, check the sauce for seasoning and adjust to taste. Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer away for 10-12 minutes (stirring frequently), or until reduced and thickened. At this point, you can also add the sugar if you wish.
  • While the sauce is reducing, add your pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions (you'll finish cooking the pasta in the sauce).
  • Once your pasta is cooked (2 minutes less than packet instructions) and your sauce is well reduced, add the pasta straight from the boiling water (using tongs) into the reduced Amatriciana sauce, bringing along some of the pasta water, which will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
  • Mix the pasta through the simmering sauce for 1 minute to let it finish cooking (it will continue to cook even after being removed from the stovetop). Turn off the heat and remove from the stovetop.
  • To serve, twist the pasta into your serving bowls. Garnish with grated pecorino romano cheese, torn basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and cracked black pepper. Dig in.
Chef's Tips
Render the guanciale low and slow rather than rushing it on high heat — this melts out the fat properly and gives you crispy, golden pieces instead of chewy, undercooked ones.
Undercook the pasta by the full 2 minutes as instructed — it keeps absorbing sauce and finishing in the pan, so cooking it to al dente first will leave you with mushy pasta by the end.
Save a cup of pasta water before draining, just in case — the starch is what helps the sauce cling properly, and it's easy to want a splash more than expected.
Storage & Reheating
Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, or in the microwave, stirring halfway through.
Serving 450gCalories 854kcalCarbohydrates 123gProtein 38.7gFat 21.8gSaturated Fat 6.2gPolyunsaturated Fat 1.73gMonounsaturated Fat 5.31gSodium 277.53mgPotassium 819.9mgFiber 7.2gSugar 12.2gVitamin A 234IUVitamin C 27.4mgCalcium 53.3mgIron 5.6mg

The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion. 

Recipe Notes

Bucatini Amatriciana Storage Instructions

Store the pasta in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months, both stored in an airtight container. Thaw in the freezer overnight before reheating. 

Bucatini Amatriciana Reheating Instructions

To reheat, it’s best placed in the microwave and heated in bursts to avoid adding any extra tomato sauce to freshen it up. 

Watch How To Make The Recipe

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