Amatriciana is certainly one of Rome’s basic pasta dishes, and like others in its class—particularly carbonara, cacio e pepe, and pasta alla gricia—it’s the supply of much-heated debate. In 2015, when acclaimed Italian chef Carlo Cracco divulged that he makes use of garlic in his amatriciana on a chat present, it made nationwide information and invited the wrath of the mayor of Amatrice, a city in northern Lazio the place the dish purportedly originated. Relying on which supply you belief, the one acceptable additions to the tomato-based pasta sauce are guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) and Pecorino Romano cheese. There are cooks in Italy and overseas who add black pepper, crushed pink pepper flakes, white wine, garlic, and even onions—to the approval of some and the dismay of others.
This amatriciana recipe takes some liberties, however we predict they’re worthwhile: Since guanciale shouldn’t be all the time straightforward to seek out stateside, pancetta and unsmoked bacon make wonderful substitutes. We’re a fan of an extended noodle right here, like spaghetti or bucatini, however rigatoni works nicely in order for you a shorter pasta. Utilizing complete canned tomatoes, nonetheless? That’s nonnegotiable.
