Bucatini all'Amatriciana

9 years ago today, my husband and I were married. Two days later we were on a plane to Italy for a week-long honeymoon in Rome. It was a wonderful trip. Much of the food in Rome in general was actually not very impressive, though we found the best Chinese restaurant there we had ever tried!!! However, it was there that I discovered Bucatini all'Amatriciana, a dish that has its roots in a hilltop town named Amatrice, just outside of Rome. I must have had this dish at least three times that week in at least as many different restaurants and every time it was absolutely fantastic. I fell in love.

To prepare this dish at home, serving 4-6 people, you will need:

1 medium-sized red onion, peeled

8 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, in one piece (or if you can get it, guanciale, which is cured pork cheek)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds very ripe, fresh tomatoes; or 1 1/2 pound imported Italian canned tomatoes, drained

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound dried bucatini, vermicelli, or spaghetti, preferably imported Italian

To cook the pasta:

Coarse-grained salt

To serve:

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano cheese

This recipe comes from Giulliano Bugialli's cookbook Bugialli On Pasta, an absolutely fantastic book that any pasta lover should buy.

As you see above, he gives you some options in case you cannot find certain ingredients. In my opinion, Pecorino Romano works so much better than Parmesan cheese in this dish. Also, I can't see making "bucatini" using spaghetti if you are able to get bucatini, but it can be hard to find. I used to be able to get it at Trader Joe's, but they called it bucati; now they seem to have discontinued it at my location, however I can now find it at my local Italian deli among their many varieties of packaged imported pasta. Also I think the pancetta works better than the prosciutto (I have never been able to get guanciale which is really the authentic choice).

First, coarsely chop the onion. Cut the pancetta into cubes less than 1/2 inch thick. If fresh tomatoes are used, cut them into pieces. Pass the canned or fresh tomatoes through a food mill, using the disc with the smallest holes, into a crockery or glass bowl.

Here is your mise en place:

Place the oil and pancetta in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat and saute for 15 minutes, or until all the fat has been rendered and the meat is very crisp.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate and set it aside until needed.

Add the onion to the saucepan and saute for 5 minutes.

Then add the tomatoes along with the hot red pepper flakes and salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon.

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil, add coarse salt to taste, then add the pasta and cook until al dente - 9 to 12 minutes depending on the brand. Transfer the sauce to a large skillet set over low heat. Drain the pasta, and add it to the skillet. Raise the heat, and add the reserved meat; saute for 30 seconds.

Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cheese, mix very well, and transfer the pasta to a warmed serving platter.

Serve immediately.