Bucatini all’Amatriciana is a comforting Italian pasta dish that combines thick, hollow bucatini noodles with a rich tomato sauce, savory pancetta, garlic, red onion, and a touch of crushed red pepper. Finished with fresh flat-leaf parsley and grated Pecorino Romano, this recipe brings bold, satisfying flavor to the dinner table in about 45 minutes.
The star of this dish is bucatini, a spaghetti-like pasta with a small hole running through the center. Its shape helps the sauce cling to the outside while catching a little inside each strand, making it a wonderful match for the savory pancetta and tomato sauce. Pancetta cooks in a skillet until lightly browned, releasing flavorful fat that becomes the foundation for the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Once the aromatics are lightly browned, the pancetta returns to the pan and prepared tomato sauce is added. Let the mixture simmer until thick and flavorful while you cook the bucatini in a separate pot of salted boiling water. Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the starchy cooking water. Tossing the noodles with the sauce, parsley, and a splash of pasta water helps everything come together in a glossy coating.
For the best texture, cook the bucatini until al dente and finish it briefly in the skillet with the sauce rather than simply spooning the sauce over plain pasta. A large, deep stainless steel skillet gives you room to toss the noodles evenly without spilling the sauce.
This version of Bucatini all’Amatriciana uses pancetta and prepared tomato sauce for a convenient, approachable take on a classic Italian favorite. Traditional versions often use guanciale, a cured pork cheek, and may prepare the tomato sauce directly in the skillet; those differences make this recipe a practical variation rather than a strict traditional rendition.
Serve immediately with freshly grated Pecorino Romano and extra parsley. It’s a satisfying choice for a family dinner or a relaxed Italian-inspired meal when you want pasta with savory depth and a little heat.
Serve this with some broiled Cheesy Garlic Bread, homemade Ciabatta Bread or some crusty French Bread . Add in a garden fresh salad to make a perfect family meal.
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Bucatini all’ Amatriciana
- Total Time: :45
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 12 ounces prepared tomato sauce
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound bucatini
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, cook the pancetta over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Return the pancetta to the skillet. Add the tomato sauce, season with salt and simmer until very thick, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce along with the parsley and the reserved cooking water and stir over moderately high heat until the pasta is evenly coated, 2 minutes. Serve the pasta in bowls, passing the cheese at the table.
Notes
- Often served in Rome’s trattorias, this dish takes its name from Amatrice, a town northeast of the capital. The classic preparation calls for making a sauce of tomatoes, onion and pancetta, and then pairing it with bucatini, a thick spaghetti-like noodle with a hole through the middle. Perciatelli is a very similar but slightly thinner noodle.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: :30
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian