Recipe: Spaghetti all' Amatriciana

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

I believe I first had Spaghetti all’Amatriciana at an Italian Trattoria in New York City. Growing up, pasta has always been my favorite dish, even the “American” version of classic meat sauce. When I say, “American,” I don’t mean Chef Boyardee, which I don’t think I’ve ever been able to get done more than a fork full before having to stop. Forcing me to it eat would truly be a form of torture. But, in all my pasta dishes while I was young, I am surprised, it never occurred to me create a spicy tomato sauce. I loved chili and soy on chow fun or chow mein, but for some reason, it never occurred to me to combine the heat of chili with classic tomato sauce. Well, the Italians have been doing this for centuries: all’Amartriciana.  

I love how the porky fatness of the pancetta adds a richness to the sauce that is light and bright from the tomato, followed by the heat of the chili, which really cuts through everything. Amatriciana is a great dish! It is not, however, a great dish to have on a date. Full of spice and garlic, this one gives you strong breath, but it’s worth it.

Ingredients:

• ¼ of pancetta, cut into small cubes

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (perhaps more)

• 5 cloves of garlic minced

• 1 large can of tomato puree

• 1/3 cup of dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon of Calabrian chili paste

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

• The amount of chili flake is up to you depending upon the spice level you like. I go with at the very least a teaspoon, but probably closer to a tablespoon.

• Salt to taste

• 1 lb spaghetti or bucatini

• 1 tablespoon of butter

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Begin by bringing a gallon of water to a boil in a large pot with a tablespoon of salt. It should taste like the ocean. (never put oil in pasta water, ever!)

While that is beginning to heat up, chop pancetta into small cubes. Place in a large Dutch oven or heavy metal bottom pot. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and turn the heat on medium. Allow the pancetta to render until it is crisp. Depending upon how much fat is in the pot, you may have to drain some off or if there is not enough add a little more olive oil. Add the garlic and toast in the bottom of the pan until golden. Immediately pour in the white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. The reason you have to immediately pour in the wine, it stops the garlic from cooking and there is a fine line between burnt garlic and toasted. Burnt garlic will ruin the entire dish.

 Let the white wine simmer for a few mins until the alcohol is cooked off. Add in the tomato puree, stirring immediately, as it will begin to bubble up. Then, add in the chili flake, red wine, Calabrian chili, and salt to taste. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 10-15 mins.

By this time the water should be boiling, add the pasta to the water and cook until a little under “al dente”. It should be undercooked pasta by American standards. Save a little of the pasta water to possibly add to the sauce if it has over reduced. Then strain pasta and then add pasta to the sauce. (NEVER rinse pasta, EVER!)

This next step is the single most important step in making pasta. You must finish cooking the pasta in the sauce and then perform “the marriage”. Cook pasta in sauce for a couple of minutes until al dente. Then take off of the heat and add butter as well as a good amount of Parmesan cheese, tossing. The butter melting along with the cheese will emulsify as you continue to toss it and incorporate air, causing the sauce to cling to the pasta, becoming one dish rather than sauce on top of pasta.  

Plate and add more cheese if you wish. Serve.