It’s autumn and we all need heart-warming, comfort food. Pasta is at the top of our list, and Nick is tackling 1 / 4 of the Roman greats, Amatriciana.
An ode to simplicity, this Paccheri Amatriciana (traditionally made with Bucatini) presents rich smoked pork, sweet tomatoes, leaving a sharp, salty kick of pecorino cheese.
If you like some extra zing in your pasta, try our Ligurian Peperoncini. Distinctly spicy, Calvi chilli peppers are not dried but retained fresh, chopped, and placed in good quality olive oil, making for a spirited pasta topping.
Ingredients
500g packet gragnano paccheri rigate
3 x 400g tins San Marzano tomatoes (or half a tin of
Solania San Marzano tomatoes)
1 red onion finely diced
1 piece De Palma guanciale, skin removed and finely diced (200 to 250gm)
½ Bunch parsley finely chopped
250g Pecorino Romano
Black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
100mL olive oil plus extra for serving
Method
- Heat a pot over low heat with olive oil and guanciale. You want to cook this slowly and render the fat from the guanciale.
- As the fat renders and guanciale starts to caramelise, add red onion and continue to sweat over low heat without colour.
- Add tomato paste and cook out.
- Add San Marzano tomatoes. Be sure to rinse the remaining tomato from the tins and add to the pot, including the water. This will reduce and evaporate throughout the cooking process.
- Bring pot to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for approx. one hour.
- As the sauce is close to being ready, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
- Remove pasta from the pot and stir through the sauce with a touch of pasta water. Allow pasta to cook for a minute or two in the sauce then turn off.
- Add in chopped parsley and Pecorino Romano and stir through. Check for seasoning.
- Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil.
Buon Appetito! // Enjoy!
