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Spaghetti Amatriciana, The Authentic Italian Recipe

Pasta Amatriciana is an Italian dish made with tomato, cured pork jowl or pancetta, onion and pecorino. A classic comfort food loved for its rich and hearty taste.
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Spaghetti Amatriciana, The Authentic Italian Recipe
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Prep 5 minutes
  • Cook 25 minutes
  • Servings 4 people

Pasta Amatriciana is among the most beloved traditional Italian pasta dishes ever. A very old dish, the recipe for Spaghetti all’Amatriciana has a very rich history, originating from the town of Amatrice in the central region of Lazio. This dish is made with a simple yet flavorful tomato sauce combined with cured pork jowl or pancetta and red pepper flakes, tossed with spaghetti or bucatini pasta. With its rich and hearty taste, pasta amatriciana is the perfect comfort food that is loved by many. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or a special occasion meal, this dish is sure to satisfy.

Ideal for preparing a lunch or dinner on the fly, Pasta Amatriciana is an ace up your sleeve when you have little time to spend at the stove, but the desire to enjoy a full-bodied comfort dish with typical Italian flavors.

If you’re unable to find cured pork jowl or prefer not to use it, you can substitute it with Italian Pancetta or bacon (cooked until crispy). Of course the end result may have a slightly different flavor. Red pepper flakes or chili pepper is often used in a pasta amatriciana recipe to add a subtle heat to the dish (of course the use of chili pepper is optional and can be adjusted to your taste).

So, let’s get started and discover the secrets to making a delicious pasta amatriciana!

Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. To prepare Pasta Amatriciana start by blanching the tomatoes in salted water for about 90 seconds. Drain them and set them aside to cool. Meanwhile, remove the spicy part of the pork jowl and cut it into chunks.

  2. Brown the pork jowl in the pan without adding additional fat (oil or butter), keeping the flame medium and gradually setting aside the melted fat that will form at the bottom of the pan to avoid frying the pork jowl. While the pork jowl is browning peel the tomatoes and mash them in a bowl with the tines of a fork.

  3. Set the browned pork jowl aside, add some of the fat kept aside and deglaze with white wine. As soon as the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomatoes and chili and adjust the salt. Cook the sauce over a low flame for about 2o minutes.

  4. In the meantime, boil the pasta in salted water. Drain it al dente, keeping a few ladles of the cooking water aside. Pour the spaghetti directly into the pan with the sauce, add the pork jowl and finish cooking for another 4-5 minutes. Should the sauce be too dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water.

  5. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the Pasta Amatriciana with plenty of grated pecorino cheese before serving.

Tips

Always remove the spicy part of the pork jowl before browning it because it could release bitter notes that would spoil the final flavor of the dish. We recommend that you fade only the fat and not the pork jowl to keep it crispier. Avoid adding other fats because they will not be necessary and could alter the flavor of the seasoning.

Storage

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana can be stored in the refrigerator, inside an airtight container, for 1 day. We do not recommend that they be frozen.