Few dishes are as deeply woven into Roman food culture as amatriciana. Apparently born in the mountain village of Amatrice and embraced by Rome, it has become one of the city’s essential pastas: saucy, savory, and richly glossed with rendered guanciale.
When late-summer tomatoes are in season, their freshness brings welcome brightness and added lightness to this pork fat-laced dish. The herbs further elevate the freshness. I’m also thrilled to see short tubular shapes such as bombolotti and rigatoni largely replacing bucatini (my least favorite pasta shape*) across Rome.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
5 ounces guanciale, cut into thin batons
¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 pound bombolotti, rigatoni, or another short, tubular, ridged pasta
Sea salt
1½ pounds cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 fresh basil leaves
Tips:
*Bucatini present an impossible paradox: when properly cooked al chiodo (even firmer than al dente) they refuse to properly twirl around a fork; by the time they become twirlable, they are already overcooked.
Method:
Add the guanciale to a cold pan. Heat over low, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and very crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale to a paper towel to drain.
Remove half the rendered fat from the pan and discard it or reserve it for another use. Add the basil and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, season with a heavy pinch of salt, increase the heat to medium, and cook until softened and saucy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt the water until it tastes like a seasoned soup. Add the pasta and cook until very al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Add the pasta and a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring and adding more cooking water as needed, until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the guanciale. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add ½ cup of the Pecorino Romano and mix well.
Divide among plates and finish each portion with the remaining ¼ cup Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.
Join me for an aperitivo on October 9 from 6:30-8:30 pm. I'll be on hand for drinks and chats at Partager in Rome’s Mercato Trionfale. Proprietor Alessandra Spedicato will be preparing cookbook-inspired dishes. Books are extremely limited so email me at katieparla@gmail.com to reserve one.
Rome, Decoded is my deep dive into the city I’ve called home for more than two decades. Over six days, we’ll explore the food, history, and people that make Rome endlessly fascinating, from its ancient foodways and neighborhood markets to the artisans shaping how the city eats today.
We’ll make gelato with one of Rome’s most celebrated artisans, head into the Castelli Romani to drink natural wine among the vines, make sheep’s milk cheese at a family farmhouse near Bracciano, eat our way through some of my favorite neighborhoods, and gather around the tables of some of the city’s most beloved restaurants. This is the Rome I know, love, and never stop learning from.
And in 2027, you have two chances to join me. Rome, Decoded runs March 14–20 and May 23–29, with just 12 guests on each departure. Come hungry, wear comfortable shoes, and prepare to see Rome in a whole new way.
