Pasta with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce (Pasta all'Amatriciana)

Name: Pasta with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6 ounces pancetta (diced); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion (chopped); Sea salt; 2 garlic cloves (coarsely chopped); Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes; 1 28-ounce can tomato puree; 1 pound linguine; 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

This is a really simple way to make a quick, easy tomato sauce that’s loaded with savory flavor. I call it pasta with pancetta and tomato sauce, but it’s really a riff on pasta all’Amatriciana – one of the quintessential pasta dishes of Rome.

In Rome, the meat of choice would be guanciale – aka, cured pork cheek – but since that’s not as attainable here, I usually opt for pancetta or even bacon. It gives the sauce so much rich, savory flavor – people will be asking “how is this tomato sauce so good?”

While the recipe calls for linguine, you can use any one of your favorite pasta shapes for this dish.

Pasta with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce

Serves:

Cooking Level: Beginner

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Inactive Time

Total Time

40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces pancetta diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add the pancetta to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, to taste.
Meanwhile, boil the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Toss the linguine with the sauce in the skillet, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid until the pasta is moist but being careful not to dilute the sauce. Toss with the cheese. Season with salt, to taste.

NUTRITION:

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Pasta with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce (Pasta all'Amatriciana)

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

While the recipe calls for linguine, you can use any one of your favorite pasta shapes for this dish.

Pasta with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce