Name: Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 400 g bucatini; 150 g guanciale; 400 g san marzano tomatoes; 80 g pecorino romano; 50 ml white wine; 1 piece peperoncino; 0 salt

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

A robust Roman classic of thick, hollow bucatini coated in a glossy tomato sauce built on crisp guanciale, sharp pecorino romano, and a whisper of chili. Few ingredients, no shortcuts, and a flavor that punches far above its short ingredient list.

🇮🇹 Italy ·Europe · $$

10 min Prep

25 min Cook

35 min Total

4 portions

Amatriciana takes its name from Amatrice, a town in the Rieti province of Lazio, where it grew out of the older white gricia once tomatoes reached Italian kitchens in the 18th and 19th centuries. The traditional Amatrice version is fiercely simple: guanciale (cured pork jowl), peeled San Marzano tomatoes, pecorino romano, and chili, with no onion and no garlic. Romans have long argued the point, and many Roman trattorias do slip in onion or a splash of white wine, but the recipe protected as a Traditional Speciality keeps both out. The guanciale is rendered slowly without oil so it crisps in its own fat, and the rendered fat carries the whole sauce. Pecorino romano is non-negotiable: its salt and tang balance the sweetness of the tomato and the richness of the pork. Bucatini is the classic shape, though spaghetti is equally at home. Done right, the sauce clings to every strand and needs nothing more than an extra grating of cheese.

Ingredients

400 g bucatini

150 g guanciale cured pork jowl, rind removed, cut into short strips

400 g san marzano tomatoes whole peeled, crushed by hand

80 g pecorino romano finely grated, plus extra for serving

50 ml white wine dry; optional, to deglaze the guanciale (optional)

1 piece peperoncino small fresh or dried chili, to taste

0 salt for the pasta water and to taste

Ingredients

4 portions

400 gbucatini

150 gguanciale cured pork jowl, rind removed, cut into short strips

400 gsan marzano tomatoes whole peeled, crushed by hand

80 gpecorino romano finely grated, plus extra for serving

50 mlwhite wine dry; optional, to deglaze the guanciale (optional)

1 piecepeperoncino small fresh or dried chili, to taste

salt for the pasta water and to taste

Instructions

Render the guanciale

1

Remove the rind from the guanciale and cut the meat into short strips about half a centimeter thick, keeping both the lean and fatty parts.
~5 min
2

Lay the guanciale in a cold, wide pan with no oil. Set over low heat and cook gently, stirring often, until the fat turns translucent and the strips are golden and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes.
~10 min
3

Lift out the crispest pieces with a slotted spoon and set them aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
~1 min

Build the sauce

1

Add the chili to the rendered fat. If using wine, pour it in now and let it bubble until the alcohol cooks off.
~2 min
2

Tip in the crushed peeled tomatoes with their juice. Season lightly with salt and simmer over medium heat until thickened and glossy, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove the whole chili if you used a dried one.
~14 min

Cook the pasta and finish

1

Meanwhile, boil the bucatini in well-salted water until just al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
~9 min
2

Drop the drained pasta into the sauce and toss over high heat for a minute or two, loosening with a splash of pasta water until the sauce coats every strand.
~2 min
3

Take the pan off the heat, scatter in the grated pecorino romano, and toss quickly so it melts into a creamy coating rather than clumping. Adjust with a little more pasta water if needed.
~1 min
4

Plate, top with the reserved crisp guanciale and an extra grating of pecorino, and serve at once.
~1 min

Credits & Inspiration

Chiara Passion
Italian-language original recipe from Amatrice using only guanciale, peeled tomatoes, and pecorino romano.
Recipes from Italy
Authentic Amatrice version with no onion or garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, and the off-heat pecorino finish.
Giallo Zafferano (Loti64)
Italian source detailing the slow rendering of guanciale and the traditional guanciale ratio.
Tasting Table
Bucatini-specific method using guanciale, white wine, whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, chili, and pecorino.