In honor and shameless infatuation, we’ve created four pasta dishes for TABLE readers inspired by Stanley Tucci’s television travel series Searching for Italy. This week we bring you Stanley Tucci Inspired Bucatini all’ Amatriciana. This dish is very similar to our recipe for Penne all’ Arrabbiata with the exception of one key ingredient, guanciale, heavenly cured pork cheek that adds a smokey and crispy element to each bite. We recommend an inky Chianti Classico or Rosso di Montalcino to enjoy this beautifully simple and heartwarming dish.
What Makes Something all-Amatriciana?
Bucatini all’Amatriciana originates in the town of Amatrice, hence its name. Amatrice is in the Italian state of Lazio, and while it gave us this delicious pasta dish, it’s had a troubled history in recent years. An earthquake devastated the town in 2016, destroying nearly three-quarters of the buildings. However, this hasn’t stopped the people of Amatrice from having intense amounts of pride in their food. But here’s a secret: according to one townsperson interviewed by CNN, ordering this dish in Amatrice makes you look like a tourist. People “in the know” order spaghetti alla gricia, a white sauce version of amatriciana. So make this dish at home instead!
Stanley Tucci Inspired Bucatini all’Amatriciana Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces of guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, cut into strips
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flake
- 3/4 cup onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano
- 12 ounces of bucatini or spaghetti
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a sauté pan over medium-low heat, add olive oil, onion, garlic, and guanciale (or pancetta or bacon). Add the pepper flake when the guanciale lightly crisps and browns. Crush the tomatoes in a separate bowl before adding them and all their juices to the pan and simmer low until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens.
- Cook the dried pasta in nicely salted water, like the sea, until al dente. Add the pasta to the sauce directly from its water, adding a touch of the starchy salty water in the process to help the sauce stick to the pasta. Toss the sauce and pasta until covered evenly. Turn off the heat. Add the Pecorino Romano and gently fold it into the pasta.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Check out our other Stanley Tucci Inspired Recipes:
Story by Gabe Gomez / Prop styling by Keith Recker/ Photography by Dave Bryce/ Food styling by Veda Sankaran/ Fabric by @foundandforagedfibres / Wine pairing by Adam Knoerzer
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