This Easy Bucatini Pasta Amatriciana is a quick and easy restaurant quality pasta you can whip up any night of the week. With delicious guanciale or pancetta, Calabrian chilis, and Pecorino Romano cheese- this Italian classic makes a great weeknight dinner or date night treat!
JUMP TO RECIPEWhen the Italians say "simple food is best"- they mean it. This quick, restaurant-quality pasta dish with Italian cured pork, Calabrian chiles, and Pecorino Romano cheese comes together with a small list of quality ingredients, but boasts major flavor!
My easy and rustic version is made with hand crushed whole plum tomatoes, guanciale (or pancetta), Calabrian chiles for some heat, and a generous amount of Pecorino Romano cheese.
Table of Contents
- What is Bucatini all'Amatriciana?
- Why Bucatini Pasta?
- Why You'll love this recipe
- Ingredient Notes / What Goes Into This Pasta Dish
- Expert Tips for the Best Pasta Amatriciana
- Step by Step Photos
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage and Reheating
- More great pasta recipes!
What is Bucatini all'Amatriciana?
Pasta Amatriciana is a traditional Italian pasta dish, believed to have originated in the villiage of Amatrice, in Central Italy. It features a sauce made with guanciale (or pancetta), tomatoes, Pecorino Romano cheese, chiles, and (sometimes) wine.
If you can get your hands on traditional guanciale, it offers a richer taste and higher fat content than pancetta, and gives the sauce great flavor. Made from pork jowl (aka pork cheek), guanciale is an Italian cured meat with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The infusion of the savory pork and Pecorino Romano are perfectly balanced with the tangy tomatoes and spicy chiles for a simple, yet decadently delicious pasta dish.
Why Bucatini Pasta?
While it may look similar to spaghetti, Bucatini Pasta has a hollow center, which soaks up the sauce beautifully. It has a great chew, and is perfect for this recipe.
Why You'll love this recipe
The "simple food is best" philosophy of the Italian style of cooking guides this recipe. This Bucatini Amatriciana is made with a short list of ingredients, in a simple and rustic way, making classic Italian fare easy for the home cook!
It uses tasty and easy to use jarred Calabrian Chiles. While some recipes use crushed red pepper flakes or fresh chilies for heat in the pasta, I use jarred crushed Calabrian chiles to add depth and spice to this restaurant quality dish. Using the jarred crushed version of the chiles makes this version accessable, quick and easy! They add a fun Italian flair, mild smokiness, and slight fruity note to the delicious sauce!
Ingredient Notes / What Goes Into This Pasta Dish
Sauce Base
Extra-virgin olive oil. You'll cook the guanciale or pancetta in the oil to release the pork flavor into the oil, which will help flavor the sauce. Use a good quality olive oil to get the best flavor base for the pasta.
Guanciale or pancetta. Guanciale is an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl or cheeks. It is harder to find that pancetta in standard grocery store, but it is traditional for this recipe. If you want to really go authentic, you can usually find Guanciale in most Italian specialty markets. If you can't, pancetta makes a great substitute.
Fresh garlic cloves, minced. Fresh garlic, rather than jarred, is preferred for this recipe. Jarred garlic can have a bitter, dulled taste and odd texture, which isn't great for this recipe. Peeling and mincing your own will do wonders for the flavor of this dish!
Finishing the Sauce
Tomato paste. This gets cooked for a few minutes along with onions and garlic in the flavored oil until it takes on a deep red color. This step helps to enhance it's flavor and give a rich tomato goodness to the sauce.
Dry white wine. This not only deglazes the pan so you get all that great flavor from the browning into your sauce, but also adds a nice subtle flavor to the sauce. I opt for a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Go for dry wine, not sweet, and use a wine you'd drink. It doesn't need to be pricey, it just needs to be drinkable.
A can of whole peeled tomatoes- I like to give the dish a rustic appeal, and crush these in my hands right into the sauce. If you prefer, you can opt to give them a rough chop on a cutting board instead.
Crushed Calabrian chilies. I buy jars of these, and the paste-like crushed peppers have a great spicy flavor. They give the sauce a slightly smoke, fruity note that really takes this pasta to the next level. A little bit goes a long way though, so if you are spice-averse, start with less and work your way up. If you can't find them, you can also use crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
Last but not least
Bucatini pasta. The long, hollow noodles suck up the sauce so well. I like to use a high quality Bucatini made with bronze dies, since they have a better chew, and the sauce clings well to them due to their slightly rougher texture. Using a premium pasta also equates to a starchier water, which is used to thicken the sauce at the end.
Pecorino Romano cheese. An Italian sheep's milk cheese, Pecorino Romano has a tangy, salty flavor and dry texture, which melts perfectly into the sauce, and gives it a lovely nutty undertone. You can buy a piece and hand grate it, or buy pre-grated from your local grocery store.
Expert Tips for the Best Pasta Amatriciana
Pasta tips
Make great pasta water. The key to super starchy pasta water is to use a wide, deep, yet shallow pan to boil your pasta in. A deep sauté pan should do the trick. The less water you use, the starchier the water (and the better your sauce). Not only will this produce ultra-starchy water, but it is also (in my humble opinion), easier to cook long pasta in.
Keep it al dente, since your pasta will keep cooking a bit more when added to your sauce. Nobody likes mushy pasta!
Sauce tips
Don't skip browning the tomato paste. The few minutes of cooking out the tomato paste and getting it to take on a deep, dark color really enhances the flavor of the sauce, and gives it a great richness. All in 3 minutes!
Guanciale vs. Pancetta. Guanciale really lends a rich flavor to the dish, and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and stronger flavor than pancetta. If you go with pancetta, the past will still be AMAZING, and it's much easier to find in whole or pre-cubed varieties in your local supermarket. The real difference is in the fat content, since both varieties come from different cuts of pork. Guanciale is a bolder flavor, while Pancetta is a bit on the milder side (and made with pork belly, rather than pork jowl).
Use quality ingredients for the best results. Splurge on the bronze cut pasta, get a high end pancetta or guanciale, use top shelf grated cheese. This sauce is worth it!
Manage your spice to your tastes. It's always easier to add more, but pretty hard to cancel out what you've already added. If you are skittish with spice, add a bit at a time and taste until you like where it's going.
Easy Bucatini Pasta Amatriciana with Calabrian Chiles
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 oz diced guanciale or pancetta
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes- drained and crushed with hands
- 2 teaspoon crushed Calabrian chilies
- 1 lb Bucatini pasta
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup pasta water
Instructions
- In a large deep pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil in over medium heat and add the diced pancetta. 2. Cook, stirring occasionally until crisp, 5-6 minutes. 3. Once crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. 4. Add the diced red onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally 4-5 minutes until softened. 5. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until just fragrant. 6. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook stirring occasionally 2-3 minutes, until slightly darker. 7. Add the white wine and stir well. Cook 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. 8. Using your hands, crush the drained whole peeled tomatoes and add to the pot. 9. Add the Calabrian chilies and reserved pancetta, and stir well. 10. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 11. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the package time for al dente in a wide, deep sauté pan in salted boiling water. 12. After the amatriciana sauce has cooked 20 minutes, add the cooked pasta directly to sauce with tongs, and add the pasta water. Stir well. 13. Stir in the Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve immediately with fresh basil or parsley, and additional grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
Notes
Step by Step Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different pasta shape?
If you can't find Bucatini pasta, or like a different shape, you can make this recipe with a variety of shapes. Just be sure to use a pound of pasta. Here are some other pastas that work well:
- Mezzi Rigatoni
- Rigatoni
- Classic Spaghetti
What can I use in place of the Calabrian Chilies?
You can swap the Calabrian chilies for some crushed red pepper flakes. Add to taste, and add them in when you add the tomato paste to help them bloom and flavor the sauce!
Can I use different tomatoes?
You can use a can of crushed tomatoes in place of the whole plum tomatoes, or even fresh whole peeled Roma tomatoes. Fresh cherry tomatoes work great, too! If using cherry tomatoes, you'll need about 3 pints.
What other cheese works for this pasta?
You can substitute the Pecorino Romano cheese for grated parmesan cheese!
Can I use bacon?
If you can't find guanciale or pancetta, an uncured thick cut bacon diced into small pieces will work!
Storage and Reheating
To store leftovers, allow to cool to room temperature, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, gently warm on low on the stove in a saucepan, and add a bit of water if needed to help loosen up the sauce as it cooks.
More great pasta recipes!
Try my super cheesy and decadent Baked Three Cheese Gnocchi Al Forno!
Whip up a quick batch of my Easy Spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata Pasta, with a fast and easy food processor sauce!
Try my favorite weeknight pasta: Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta!
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