A Classic Roman Dish – Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Bucatini all’Amatriciana is one of my favorite Italian recipes!
Bucatini all’Amatriciana is bold, simple, and packed with flavor. It’s one of those classic Roman pasta dishes that proves you don’t need a long list of ingredients to make something incredible.
This dish brings together crispy guanciale, rich tomato sauce, and a kick of Pecorino Romano. The bucatini—long, thick noodles with a hole through the center—grab the sauce in every bite.
What makes Amatriciana special is its balance. The guanciale adds salt and richness. The tomatoes bring brightness and acidity.
The cheese ties it all together with a sharp, savory edge. It’s hearty, but not heavy. Traditional, but never boring.
This is comfort food that feels elevated. The recipe is fast enough for a weeknight and good enough for guests. You don’t need any fancy skills—just a hot pan, a little patience, and good ingredients.
I’ll walk you through every step so your sauce is glossy, your guanciale is perfectly crisp, and your pasta comes out just right.
If you’ve never made Bucatini all’Amatriciana before, you’re in for a treat. And if you have? You already know it’s worth making again.
Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 1 cup guanciale diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 splash white wine to deglaze the guanciale
- 1 cup yellow onion minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- hot pepper flakes to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- pecorino romano cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- To a large pot of water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add bucatini pasta and cook according to package direction until al dente.
- Start the guanciale in a cold pan. Saute over medium-low heat until the guanciale's fat renders out. The guanciale will start to turn golden and become crisp. Stir frequently.
- Deglaze the guanciale with a splash of white wine.
- Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes and oregano. Lower heat to a simmer and cook sauce for 10 minutes.
- Add hot pepper flakes to taste.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Drain pasta reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. If the sauce seems dry, add some of the pasta water.
- Plate the pasta and sauce in bowls and finish with a topping of freshly grated pecorino cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips for Bucatini all"Amatriciana
| Tip | Details | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Use Guanciale, Not Bacon | Guanciale is cured pork jowl with a rich, fatty texture and deeper flavor than pancetta or bacon. | Authentic taste and proper fat rendering are key to the dish’s signature flavor. |
| Render the Fat Slowly | Start guanciale in a cold pan and cook over medium-low heat until crisp. | This method releases maximum flavor and gives a perfect texture without burning. |
| Use Whole Peeled Tomatoes | Break them by hand or crush with a spoon while simmering. | They give a better texture and sweetness than pre-made sauces or diced tomatoes. |
| Cook Pasta Just Shy of Al Dente | Finish it in the sauce with a splash of pasta water. | This allows the pasta to absorb the sauce and develop flavor cohesion. |
| Use Pecorino Romano | Grate it fresh and stir it in after turning off the heat. | Its sharp, salty bite balances the richness of the guanciale and sweetness of the tomatoes. |
| Don’t Overcrowd the Pan | Cook guanciale in batches if needed. | Overcrowding causes steaming, not crisping—affecting texture and flavor. |
| Season Pasta Water Well | Salt the water until it tastes like the sea. | This ensures the pasta itself has flavor before it's sauced. |
| Reserve Pasta Water | Save 1 cup before draining the pasta. | Starchy water helps bind the sauce and adjust consistency. |
Guanciale for Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Guanciale pronounced (gyaan chaa lay), is a cured meat from a pig’s cheeks. Not easy to find in most supermarkets, you may have to head to a specialty food market or a good Italian grocer. A good substitute is pancetta, another cured meat from a pig but from the belly. And if you can’t find any pancetta, I suppose I would give prosciutto a try.
Pecorino Romano Cheese for Bucatini all’Amatriciana
One of my favorite Italian cheeses pecorino Romano. My favorite brand is Locatelli and it’s been around for over 200 years. I love substituting pecorino for parmesan cheese and often find myself eating a small piece for dessert if there is any extra.
It is a little saltier than parmesan and has a sharp, acidic taste. It is an aged sheep’s milk cheese.
Bucatini
Bucatini is a pasta that looks a lot like spaghetti but it is thicker and has a whole running down through the strand. My kids like to say it looks like a straw made out of pasta.
If you lived in Naples, Italy, you would call this pasta perciatelli. Same pasta, but just called something different in a different part of Italy.
For years you could only find bucatini pasta in speciality markets or Italian grocers, but now I’m finding it in my local supermarkets. I guess it is becoming more popular and is being used in more Internet recipes.
The Italian word for hole is “buco” so this is where this pasta gets its name. If you can’t find bucatini, try substituting spaghetti or linguini.
The Secret Ingredients
Onion
Traditional Amatriciana omits onion, but many chefs (especially in modern Italian or Roman kitchens) sneak in a small amount of finely minced onion—sweated slowly in rendered guanciale fat. It adds natural sweetness and body without overpowering the sauce.
White Wine
A splash to deglaze the pan after crisping the guanciale. It adds brightness and balances the rich fat.
A Pinch of Chile Flakes
Enhances the natural heat of the sauce without making it spicy.
2 Responses
I’m on a “diet program”, really a better lifestyle change. But I’m cutting calories, & salt.
Any idea about the nutrition values for this (wonderful) meal?
Thanks, I’m enjoying your website after just finding it.
Hi Hazel, thanks for contacting me. I’m trying to cut calories and salt myself but I do splurge sometimes. I don’t have the nutrition values for this dish but I’m guessing it’s rich. You may be able to find a site online that you can plug in the ingredients and it will give you the nutritional breakdown. Best.