David's Birthday Amatriciana
Serves 4
Directions
- 1Boil a pot of salted water for the pasta.
- 2Cut the guanciale into half-inch cubes.
- 3Add guanciale to a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of olive oil and render slowly until fat is released.
- 4Add sliced onions to the skillet with the rendered pork fat and season with salt and pepper.
- 5Add chili flakes to the fat in the skillet.
- 6Add the hand-crushed tomatoes to the skillet.
- 7Simmer the sauce to cook down and take the edge off the tomatoes.
- 8Cook the rigatoni until al dente, drain, and reserve some pasta water.
- 9Add the pasta to the sauce, pour in some reserved pasta water, and finish cooking together until the sauce reaches desired consistency.
- 10Finish with grated garlic, extra pepper, chili flakes, and a shower of cheese.
Ingredients
- 4 oz guanciale
- olive oil (optional)
- onion, sliced
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- whole peeled tomato, hand-crushed
- chili flake
- rigatoni
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- cheese
Equipment
potskilletknifegrater
Tips
- Use pancetta as a substitute for guanciale if needed.
- If using slab bacon as a substitute, choose unsmoked to avoid a smoky flavor.
- If the guanciale browns too quickly before rendering, lower the heat.
- If the sauce gets too thick, use reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Hand-crushing whole tomatoes provides a better texture than canned crushed tomatoes.
