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Pasta Amatriciana is a classic Italian pasta dish made with bucatini pasta, guanciale and red pepper flakes. It’s so simple and delicious and makes a great, quick weeknight dinner. Serve with lashings of pecorino cheese and toasted ciabatta bread.

Ok, so as you probably already know I’m all about quick and delicious weeknight meals. At weekends I love to spend a little more time cooking because I LOVE it but throughout the week I just don’t have the time.

This recipe is sooo perfect for weeknights because it’s quick (20 minutes), it uses very little ingredients and has so much flavour!

What Pasta To Use?

Have you ever heard of Bucatini pasta? It’s basically a thick and hollow spaghetti and it’s so delicious and fun to cook with. Because of its hollow shape, the sauce gets sucked up inside of it like a spaghetti straw making sure every single mouthful is extra delicious. It is so perfect for this recipe and the pasta that’s traditionally used.

I love it and you should definitely try it, finding new pasta shapes to try is a great way to make meals more exciting. Of course, you can substitute bucatini for spaghetti or linguine if you want to make this, like NOW!

What Is Guanciale?

Guanciale is an Italian cured pig cheek. It’s very similar to prosciutto crudo and pancetta except it’s much fattier. For this recipe, you can substitute guanciale for cubed pancetta or chopped bacon.

How To Make Pasta Amatriciana – Step By Step

Add the guanciale/pancetta or chopped bacon to a large pan and fry for a minute or two until browned and slightly crispy. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to fry for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is just starting to turn golden.

Add the chopped tomatoes, balsamic and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Tip: At this point bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and boil until al dente.

Simmer the tomato sauce until it has reduced and thickened (around 15-20 minutes). Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan) and toss again until combined into the sauce. Serve.

If you’ve tried this pasta amatriciana or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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5 from 10 votes

Pasta Amatriciana

Pasta Amatriciana is a classic Italian pasta dish made with bucatini pasta, guanciale and red pepper flakes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 737kcal

Author Emily Kemp

Ingredients

• 14 oz (400g) Bucatini pasta or spaghetti or linguine14 oz (400g) Bucatini pasta or spaghetti or linguine
• 28 oz (800g) chopped tomatoes canned28 oz (800g) chopped tomatoes canned
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar , high quality1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar , high quality
• 100 (100g) guanciale pancetta or chopped bacon100 (100g) guanciale pancetta or chopped bacon
• 2 cloves garlic2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup (50g) pecorino or parmesan cheese grated1 cup (50g) pecorino or parmesan cheese grated
• salt and pepper to seasonsalt and pepper to season

Instructions

• Add the guanciale/pancetta or chopped bacon to a large pan and fry for a minute or two until browned and slightly crispy. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to fry for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is just starting to turn golden.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, balsamic and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• Simmer the tomato sauce until it has reduced and thickened (around 15-20 minutes). Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan) and toss again until combined into the sauce. Serve.

Notes

• Guanciale can be replaced with cubed pancetta and chopped bacon
• Use spaghetti or linguine if you can't find Bucatini
• You can use parmesan instead of pecorino

Balsamic Vinegar

• I love adding balsamic into pasta sauces. The thing is you need to use high-quality balsamic vinegar. Don't buy it in a large bottle in the supermarket, that stuff is very acidic, thin and watery.
• Authentic balsamic is from Modena and it should say that on the bottle. It should be slightly thick, dark and have a sweet/acid, concentrated flavour.

Nutrition Facts

Pasta Amatriciana

Amount Per Serving

Calories 737 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Fat 27g42%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 78mg26%

Sodium 1169mg51%

Potassium 694mg20%

Carbohydrates 85g28%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 550IU11%

Vitamin C 18.9mg23%

Calcium 714mg71%

Iron 3.8mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 737kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1169mg | Potassium: 694mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 18.9mg | Calcium: 714mg | Iron: 3.8mg

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
• When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use this brand for the best results and flavour
• All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
• All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
• Find out more about how nutrition is calculated here
• Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples here
• You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking here

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