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    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Bucatini all’Amatriciana (Pasta with Guanciale and Tomatoes)

    Published: Nov 28, 2021 · Modified: Dec 5, 2021 by Neriz

    Jump to Recipe

    It’s a mouth-watering dish that’s ready in thirty minutes!  Bucatini all’Amatriciana (or Pasta with Guanciale and Tomatoes) will give you pasta luxuriously coated with a sauce that’s slightly sweet, buttery, and undeniably creamy.  Perfect for weeknight dinners!

    An overhead shot of a serving of bucatini all'amatriciana, with a chunk of pecorino ready for grating, next to it.

    (*This post contains some affiliate links)

    A classic pasta dish from the town of Amatrice in Lazio, bucatini all’Amatriciana is a perfect example of what Italian cuisine is all about.

    It’s an unbelievably flavor-packed dish from minimal, excellent ingredients — in this case, its guanciale, tomatoes, and pecorino Romano.

    If you haven’t cooked with guanciale before, bucatini all’Amatriciana will show you how uniquely delicious this Italian cured meat is.  

    So, start gathering your ingredients now. 🙂

    IF YOU WANT MORE CLASSIC ITALIAN RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LOVE THESE POSTS!

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    Ingredients

    All the ingredients you need to prepare bucatini all'Amatriciana at home.
    • Pasta – as you can see from the image above, I use bucatini for this pasta all’Amatriciana recipe.

    If you cannot find bucatini, spaghetti would be great as well.

    • Guanciale – cured pork jowl (cheek) cut into small bits.
    • Onion – a small onion and sliced finely.
    • White wine – any dry white wine will be great for this Amatriciana sauce recipe.
    • Tomatoes – I use cherry tomatoes for this recipe, but regular tomato would also be good.
    • Seasoning – salt and peperoncino (or chili flakes).
    • Pecorino Romano – to keep it traditional, use freshly grated pecorino Romano when serving your bucatini all’Amatriciana.
    A closer shot of bucatini all'Amatriciana in a pan, to be transferred to a plate, highlighting the luxurious coating of the pasta.

    Preparation

    Start preparing your bucatini all’Amatriciana by boiling salted water on a large pot.

    As soon as the water is ready, cook the pasta as per package instructions.

    While the pasta is cooking, place a large pan over medium-high heat.

    Add the cured pork cheek into the cold pan (photo 1).

    First part of a collage of images showing the step by step process of making pasta Amatriciana.

    Cook guanciale until the meat becomes brown; the fat should start looking transparent (photo 2).

    Add the chopped onion (photo 3).

    Cook until the onion becomes soft.

    Second part of a collage of images for making pasta with guanciale and tomatoes.

    Pour the wine (photo 4).

    Leave uncovered and let the wine evaporate.

    Add the tomatoes, salt, and peperoncino (photo 5).

    Last part of a collage of images showing the process of making pasta Amatriciana at home.

    Mix, cover with a lid and simmer for a few minutes until the juices come out.

    By this time, the pasta should be ready, so add it directly into the Amatriciana sauce.

    Mix, take the pan off the heat, and transfer into serving plates.

    Garnish your bucatini all’Amatriciana with freshly grated pecorino Romano and enjoy!

    An overhead shot of a pan of pasta Amatriciana, with serving plates next to it, and a chunk of pecorino for grating.

    Helpful tips

    • You can chop the cured pork cheek into bigger pieces if you prefer; just give it enough time to brown the edges before adding the wine.
    • Do not add too much salt at once.  Keep in mind that the cured pork is already salty, plus if you’re adding some pasta water, there’s additional salt in there.
    • Add some pasta water if you think your bucatini all’Amatriciana is a bit dry after adding the cooked pasta.
    A closer shot of a serving of pasta all'Amatriciana, with freshly grated pecorino and a glass of wine in the background.

    Recipe variation

    • Canned tomatoes.  You can use whole tomatoes in a can if you cannot find good fresh ones.

    Just use your hands to break (smash) them before adding them to the Amatriciana sauce.

    • Pancetta. If cured pork cheek is hard to find in your area, you can use pancetta instead — it is an excellent substitute for guanciale. 
    • Herbs. If you want to add some herbs, flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil would be excellent for bucatini all’Amatriciana.
    • No onion, no peperoncino.  I have also tried some versions within the region that do not add onion or peperoncino — and I personally prefer having them in sugo all’Amatriciana, hence this recipe. 

    But feel free to skip them if you want to see which version you prefer. 🙂

    Looks absolutely delicious right? So, find out for yourself and try this bucatini all’Amatriciana recipe one of these nights! 

    Text for Roundup Sections
    • 20+ Easy Italian Desserts & Pastries Recipes
    • Authentic Italian Bread Recipes
    An overhead shot of a serving of bucatini all'amatriciana, with a chunk of pecorino ready for grating, next to it.

    Bucatini all’Amatriciana Recipe (Pasta with Guanciale and Tomatoes)

    It's a mouth-watering dish that's ready in thirty minutes!  Bucatini all'Amatriciana will give you pasta luxuriously coated with a sauce that's slightly sweet, buttery, and undeniably creamy.  Perfect for weeknight dinners!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 712kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Kitchen Knife
    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Rubber Spatula
    • Microplane grater

    Ingredients

    • 3 ounces guanciale (85 grams), skin removed and chopped into bits
    • 1 small onion, chopped finely
    • 1/4 cup white wine
    • 12 to 15 pieces cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
    • 7 ounces bucatini (200 grams)
    • salt
    • pecorino Romano, for serving

    Instructions

    • Start by boiling salted water on a large pot.
    • As soon as the water is ready, follow the instructions in the package to cook the bucatini for pasta all'Amatriciana.
    • While the pasta is cooking, place a large pan over medium-high heat.
    • Add the chopped guanciale into the cold pan.
    • Cook the cured pork cheeek until the meat becomes brown; the fat should start looking transparent. 
    • Add the chopped onion.
    • Cook until the onion turns soft.
    • Pour the white wine.
    • Leave uncovered and let the wine evaporate.
    • Add the tomatoes, salt, and peperoncino.
    • Mix, cover with a lid, and simmer for a few minutes until the juices come out of the tomatoes — taste and adjust seasoning.
    • By this time, the pasta should be ready, so add it directly into the Amatriciana sauce.
    • Mix, take the pan off the heat, and transfer into serving plates.
    • Top your bucatini all'Amatriciana with freshly grated pecorino Romano, and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1:  Chop the guanciale in bigger pieces if you prefer but give it enough time to brown the edges before adding the wine.
    • Cook’s Tip #2:  Do not add too much salt at once.  Remember that the cured pork cheek is already salty, plus if you’re adding some pasta water, there’s additional salt in there as well.
    • Cook’s Tip #3:  Add some pasta water if you think your bucatini all’Amatriciana is a bit dry after adding the cooked pasta.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Neriz

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