Bucatini All'Amatriciana - The Pasta Twins

Name: Bucatini All'Amatriciana
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 16-ounce package bucatini pasta; 8 ounces thinly sliced pancetta; 2 cups chopped sweet onion; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 teaspoons dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

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A bowl of bucatini with sweet onions and pancetta, topped with shredded pecorino romano cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

Why we love bucatini all’amatriciana

When I was a kid, we used to go to this Italian restaurant that served your drinks in a mason jar with bucatini as a straw. My sister and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Years have gone by, and I still think bucatini is cool. I mean, come on, it has a hole in it, and it has the best bite when it’s cooked properly. It’s just so much fun to eat.

So when I saw it on the menu at a restaurant in Chicago -we were there last month visiting friends – I knew I just had to order it. The dish itself was fairly simple. The sauce was comprised of pancetta, sweet onion and tomato, which was seasoned to perfection.

I knew I wanted to replicated it at home, so I double checked the menu’s description and then did a quick search of the dish. It turns out that it was based on a regional Italian speciality – Amatriciana sauce. The sauce commonly features guanciale, which is a little bit hard to come by in our area. The restaurant had substituted pancetta, so I did, too.

And, the recipe turned out just as great – maybe even better than – as the restaurant.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Large stockpot

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Chef’s knife

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Measuring Spoons

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A close up of bucatini pasta with sweet onions and pancetta in a white bowl topped with shredded pecorino romano cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

How to make bucatini amatriciana

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente in a large pot of salted water. When you drain the pasta be sure to save some of the pasta water and set it aside.

Cook pancetta over medium-high heat. Partially rendering the fat – about 5 minutes. This will cook a lot like bacon in the pan.

Add onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until fat has completely rendered from pancetta – about 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta and transfer to a cutting board. Roughly chop into small pieces before returning to pan.

Add garlic and seasonings to the pan. After about a minute you can add wine and allow it to cook off. Stir occasionally and allow to cook for about 5 more minutes.

Toss in the tomatoes and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked.

Toss the sauce with drained pasta and top with your favorite dairy free cheese. Add a splash or two of the pasta water to make it more saucey if you want.

Close up of bucatini pasta with sweet onions and pancetta in a large skillet.

FAQs and tips on making this bucatini pasta recipe

How is bucatini different from spaghetti?

Bucatini is a long macaroni just like spaghetti but it has a hallow center, similar to a straw.

What is bucatini pasta best for?

Bucatini is great for thick saucey pastas. The hollow center allows the pasta to hold a little more sauce inside increasing the flavor of the dish. It is thick so it can support a heartier sauce and the hollow center gives the pasta a great texture when you bit into it.

Where is bucatini all’amatriciana from?

It is named after the town it comes from called Amatrice in Italy. It is originally made with pork cheek or guanciale, but it is commonly switched to pancetta since it is more widely available.

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