Linguine all'Amatriciana with Guanciale & Pecorino

One of the most celebrated dishes in Italian cuisine, Pasta all'Amatriciana is named for the Abruzzese town of Amatrice, a tiny town in the Sabine Hills bordering Abruzzo about 100 miles from Rome, and considered by many Italians to be birthplace of the best cooks on the peninsula. Ever since Abbruzzese shepherds began the tradition of eating this spicy pasta after a day in the chilly mountain air, the cooking process has always begun with the rich smell of a fatty piece of pork bubbling in the pan that gives the simple pasta a luxurious depth. Tomatoes, sautéed garlic, olive oil and dried red chilli flakes complete the sauce, which is usually served over bucatini, a thick strand pasta with a hole in the centre, but other pastas such as spaghetti, rigatoni or linguine work just as well. The beauty of this culinary classic is that it's quick and easy to make, is enormously full flavoured and utterly gob-smackingly delicious.



Linguine all'Amatriciana
Serves 2 

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz tomato passata (tomato purée)
4 oz finely chopped Guanciale, Pancetta or unsmoked bacon
1 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste 
8 oz bucatini or fettuccine 
1/2 cup shaved Pecorino


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, then drain. Heat the olive oil and cook garlic until softened, adding the finely chopped guanicale at the end. Then add the passata and dried chilli flakes and simmer over low heat to thicken the sauce slightly. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and serve with grated Pecorino cheese.