When I go out for dinner in a traditional Roman trattoria, I order Amatriciana three times out of five, maybe four.
There’s something in that tomato sauce brought to its extreme flavour peaks by the guanciale, in the Pecorino dust they scatter just before bringing it to your table, in the memories the first forkful awakens, that makes it my favorite Roman pasta.
Between the traditional bucatini and rigatoni, I choose rigatoni: they hold the sauce better, and hide those crunchy surprises between folds.
And I get mad, I really go crazy, if the guanciale turns out soggy. It’s disgusting.
I know toasting it to perfection is not always easy. But I’m out to have a good time, so I pretend your food makes me happy, or you’ll never see me again.
That’s why I so often stay at home and cook it myself.
In Rome, people silently judge trattorias by their Amatriciana.
AMATRICIANA’S DEBATED ORIGINS — AND MY THEORY
The Amatriciana recipe hails from the Lazio region of Italy and is typically made with guanciale (cured pork jowl), pecorino cheese from Amatrice (a town near Rieti), and your choice of pasta: bucatini, spaghetti, vermicelli, or rigatoni.
Both Rome and Amatrice claim the dish as their own. What we know for sure is that it has been eaten in the region since at least the 1800s.
Some variations exist, including a Roman-Jewish version made with olive oil instead of pecorino and dried beef instead of guanciale.
Did Amatriciana originate in Rome or Amatrice?
If you ask me, while the dish may have evolved over time, it’s likely that the idea of adding tomatoes to gricia sauce first emerged in Rome, where tomatoes probably arrived earlier. However, it’s clear that the people of Amatrice were pivotal to the creation of what we know today as Amatriciana.
They all have my eternal gratitude, if that can be of any help in the debate.
TRADITIONAL (AND MODERN) AMATRICIANA
Traditional Amatriciana doesn’t include wine or vinegar, but I very often add them for an extra layer of flavor — taught by a sinful mother, I guess.
You can belong to any team — or both — as long as it gives you the excitement of a culinary adventure.
As mentioned, be careful when frying the guanciale: it should be crispy but not burnt. Keep an eye on it, and turn off the heat just before it starts browning.
As with all Italian recipes, the key is using the best ingredients you can find. The simpler the dish, the more important the quality of each element.
authentic Amatriciana pasta
Ingredients
- 5.5-7 oz bucatini pasta 160-200 gr
- 1.7 oz guanciale 50 gr
- 1 chili
- 8.8 oz fresh tomatoes or a little more of canned tomatoes (pelati) 250 gr
- 1/4 glass white wine and vinegar mixed in equal parts - optional
- 1.7 oz pecorino cheese 50 gr
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
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Cut the guanciale into strips and grate the pecorino cheese.
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If using fresh tomatoes, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the tomatoes, and blanch for less than a minute. Drain and peel the tomatoes — the skin will come off easily.
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Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet, add the chili and guanciale, and cook until the guanciale becomes crispy.
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Optional: add the white wine and vinegar mixture, cooking over low heat until the alcohol evaporates — you’ll know it’s ready once the alcohol smell disappears.
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Remove the chili and a few tablespoons of guanciale. Set the crispy guanciale aside and discard the chili.
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Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary.
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Cook the bucatini pasta al dente, drain, and toss it in the skillet with the sauce, adding about 3/4 of the grated pecorino. Sauté for a minute.
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Serve hot, sprinkled with the remaining pecorino and the reserved crispy guanciale.
Enjoy your Amatriciana pasta with a glass of red wine, thanking also whoever first dared to use those almost rotten grapes.
Claudia