← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 350 g bucatini or spaghetti
• 150 g guanciale or pancetta, cut into short strips
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 small fresh or dried red chilli, crumbled or chopped
• 60 ml dry white wine
• 1 can tin of peeled plum tomatoes (400 g), crushed by hand
• 60 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• salt, for the pasta water

Method

1. Put the guanciale and oil in a cold, wide frying pan over medium heat. Let it render slowly for 8–10 min, stirring now and then, until the fat has run out and the edges are golden.
2. Add the chilli and fry for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and let it bubble until almost gone. Lift out half the crispy pork and set it aside so it stays crunchy.
3. Tip in the crushed tomatoes, season lightly (the pork and cheese are salty) and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 min until thick and glossy.
4. Meanwhile, cook the bucatini in well-salted boiling water until just short of al dente. Save a mug of the cooking water before draining.
5. Toss the pasta in the sauce over the heat for 1–2 min with a splash of pasta water, until every strand is coated. Take it off the heat and toss in the pecorino.
6. Serve topped with the reserved crispy guanciale and more pecorino.

Tips

• Romans never add garlic or onion here; the flavour comes from the pork fat, wine and cheese.
• Pancetta or thick smoked bacon will do if you cannot find guanciale (cured pork cheek).

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

GialloZafferano Cooking with Manuela Pasta Grammar