Bucatini Amatriciana is hands down my favorite pasta forever. It’s rich, savory, and proof that you don’t need a long ingredient list to make something unforgettable. The traditional version is all about guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano, crushed tomatoes, and a kiss of heat from dried chili. No garlic, no onions—just a handful of ingredients that allow each ingredient to shine.
Because it’s so simple, the magic really comes down to technique. I pulled together a few tips below that’ll not only help you nail this dish, but seriously level up your entire pasta game.
Pasta Tips:
- Properly seasoning your water with salt prior to adding pasta. As Italians say, it should taste “like the sea”.
- Cook your pasta to al dente, which means ~2 minutes prior to it being fully cooked as it should still have a bite to it. It will continue to cook in the sauce, and the sauce will cling to the pasta better.
- Reserve that pasta water! It helps the sauce cling to the pasta and really brings the whole dish together. The best analogy I saw as to why pasta water is so important is: “sauce has oil and water. Oil hates water. Pasta water has starch. Starch is like marriage counselors that help oil and water stay together so sauce is not a broken home.”
- Saving the pasta water and cooking to al dente are key to a proper glossy pasta. In Italy, this is called “saltate in padella”, which refers to when you finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, resulting in a much more flavorful marriage of ingredients vs just pouring the sauce over. When you add the pasta water to the pan, it may look a bit liquidy at first, but as you keep tossing you’ll notice it will get quite glossy. This is also why you want to cook your pasta to al dente, because it will continue to cook in the sauce and you don’t want your noodles to overcook.
- Use a fine zester/grater to grate the pecorino cheese – that soft powdery texture is necessary to create a glossy sauce. It’s a perfect balance alternating between the pecorino and pasta water until you see the sauce come together and stick to the noodles.
Ingredients:
- Guanciale – cured pork cheek that can be found at a butcher or Italian specialty store. Some people say you can substitute this for pancetta but it really doesn’t come out the same. Guanciale is fattier, richer, and more flavorful which flavors the whole dish.
- Bucatini – use bucatini if you can – it’s like spaghetti with a personality (and a hole running through it for maximum sauce slurpage). Other great options would be rigatoni or a thicker spaghetti (just be careful to pull it 2-3 minutes before its cooked because spaghetti can overcook since its thinner.
- Pecorino – most traditional in an amatriciana and it is really better – it’s sharper, saltier, and has a distinct taste you don’t get from parmesan. I definitely have substituted parmesan before (sue me!) and it still comes out amazing, but I highly recommend trying with pecorino.
- Crushed tomatoes – San Marzano are best if you can find them and they have the best flavor.
- Spice/dried chili – you can adjust spice preference for this to your liking. A dried chili that you can remove at the end or calabrian chili paste (bomba sauce at Trader Joe’s) all my preferred options that add a flavor complexity you don’t get with just red pepper flakes, but use what you have!
- Fresh cracked black pepper – I freaking love having a heavy hand with black pepper in this dish. There’s black pepper in the guanciale, but adding more black pepper to the sauce and more at the end adds this bite that really packs a punch.
- White wine – optional, but adds a nice balance to the dish.
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
Crispy guanciale, spicy tomato sauce, and a glossy Pecorino finish — Bucatini all’Amatriciana in all its salty, silky glory.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bucatini All’Amatriciana:
- 1lb dried bucatini
- 6oz guanciale, cut into ¼” strips
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1–2 dried chilies*
- ¾ cup pecorino romano + more for topping
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
For the Bucatini All’Amatriciana:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Place the guanciale in a cold skillet and set over medium heat. Cook for 8–10 minutes, until the fat renders and the guanciale is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, if using, and simmer for 1–2 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chili flakes, and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1–2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly into the sauce along with a splash of the reserved pasta water, and toss to combine.
- With the heat on low, gradually add the Pecorino Romano, alternating with more pasta water as needed, tossing constantly until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.
- Return the guanciale to the pan and toss everything together. Taste and adjust for salt if needed.
- Serve the pasta with additional black pepper and freshly grated Pecorino Romano on top. Enjoy!
Notes
*You can sub the dried chilies for chopped calabrian chilies or red pepper flakes.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Italian