Amatriciana Pasta Food

PASTA AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Make sure to have a pot of boiling salted water for pasta going before starting this dish. You will not cook the pasta all the way as you will finish it in the pan with the sauce.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water to start the cooking process.
• Meanwhile, in a saute pan heat some oil over high heat and add the pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is rendered (most of the fat melts away), and then turn the heat down to medium. Pancetta should look like crispy bacon. Add the onions and stir constantly making sure the onions do not burn. Once the onions are soft and cooked through, add the red sauce. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the cheese and pepper flakes, stirring to incorporate.
• Turn off the heat on the sauce and add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Turn the heat back on to low and toss the pasta constantly so that the sauce will stick to the pasta (the sauce should be thick and shouldn't create a pool on the plate). Transfer the pasta and sauce to a bowl and sprinkle more cheese on top to serve.

AMERICAN-ITALIAN ALL'AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Heat water to boil for pasta, season with salt and cook pasta to al dente.
• Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add bacon and crisp 4 to 5 minutes then add onions and garlic cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in stock then tomatoes and season with pepper to taste. Simmer sauce 15 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce and parsley. Serve with grated sharp white Cheddar.

SPAGHETTI AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, and add the oil, guanciale and onions. Sprinkle with salt and caramelize the guanciale, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and Calabrian chile paste, then lower to medium-low heat. Season with a few pinches of salt to taste (keep in mind that the cheese added at the end will add salinity to the final dish). Cook, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching, for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• In a large pot over high heat, boil well-salted water (salty like the ocean). Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until slightly undercooked (the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce). Add 2 tablespoons pasta water to the sauce. Strain the pasta and add to the sauce. Cook over high heat until the sauce has coated the noodles, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add to a large bowl and mix in the Pecorino and butter. Divide among individual serving bowls. Garnish each with more grated Pecorino.

AMATRICIANA PASTA

Steps:

• Place the guanciale in a 1-quart saucepot with 2 tablespoons of the oil and render the fat out on low heat (you don't want too much heat, or you'll scorch the guanciale), 15 to 20 minutes. When the fat is rendered out, place the guanciale on paper towels, reserve the fat and put aside.
• If your tomato sauce isn't silky smooth, put it in a blender for about a minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the guanciale fat, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic to an 8-inch saute pan. Heat it over medium-high heat to infuse the oil with garlic flavor, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, season the pasta water with salt and add the pasta. Cook it for 80 percent of the way (if the directions say boil for 10 minutes, boil for 8 minutes, as you will finish cooking it in the sauce).
• Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup pasta water and red pepper flakes. Remove the garlic and add a pinch of salt. Reduce for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the pasta (once it's ready) and half of the guanciale. Toss and stir for about 2 minutes (the sauce should reduce a little and the pasta should be al dente). Toss to combine and cook to bring the flavors together, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and finely grate about 1/4 cup cheese over top.
• Place the pasta onto plates. Place the remainder of the crispy guanciale on top as garnish, more cheese if necessary and a drizzle of oil. Serve immediately.

PASTA ALL'AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Cut guanciale into 1-inch by 1/8-inch strips.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add guanciale and cook until well browned and fully rendered, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a bowl. Leave all fat in the pan.
• Start pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until not quite done, about 10 minutes. You want it undercooked by at least 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
• At the same time, add wine to the guanciale fat in the saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce and pepper; bring to a simmer.
• Transfer the almost fully-cooked pasta into the sauce using a slotted spoon; it's okay if some water gets in the sauce. Add guanciale and stir to combine. Season with salt. Cook and stir until pasta absorbs the sauce and finishes cooking, and the sauce thickens up, about 3 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of the pasta water.
• Turn off the heat and add some of the Pecorino cheese. Stir until melted, then repeat until all cheese has been added.
• Ladle into 2 bowls and serve.