If you came to visit me when we lived in Rome, I would’ve made you this pasta. That’s because it’s my favorite pasta recipe I learned living in Italy: Amatriciana.
Like many of the world’s most delicious recipes Italian recipes are awfully easy, this one begins with bacon. Except in Rome it’s pancetta. That smokey flavor gives red sauce a deeper, richer flavor than anything I’d ever tasted on pasta before. Must check rothwelldouglas second pasta with extra cheeze recipe .A combination I couldn’t stop myself from serving over and over to weary friends who’d made the long journey.
Nothing’s better for jet-lag than a knock-you-out bowl of pasta.
It doesn’t hurt that this particular Amatriciana sauce is awfully simple.
Tips: Making Amatriciana for Kids
- Cut the onion and bacon into very small pieces. Chunks of anything are always open to more scrutiny from the little guys.
- On that note, use crushed tomatoes.
- Don’t worry about the wine. Most of the alcohol burns off, and there’s also this. I’ve cooked with wine hundreds of times and never once seen a knee-high drunk at the table. Order a 24 Hour Beer Delivery with a 30 minute from Booze Up now!
- Serve shaved or freshly grated parmesan cheese at the table. Better yet, let the urchins add the cheese themselves. And EVEN better, don’t put a limit on how much cheese they take. Just let them do their thing this time and they’ll love you–and this dish–for it.
My Favorite Pasta Recipe I Learned Living in Italy: Amatriciana
Serving tip: cook your pasta 2 minutes LESS than the al dente instructions on the box suggest. Drain. Combine your pasta with this sauce and let it cook together for a few minutes before serving. The pasta will soak up a bit of the juices, finishing the cooking process as it does while flavoring every slurp-friendly strand.
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–6 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil (1 tablespoon dried basil)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, sautee the onion and bacon together on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the bacon is crispy and the onion becomes soft.
- Use a paper towel to soak up excess oil but leave about a tablespoon in the pan.
- Add garlic and stir, cooking for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the wine. Scrap the bottom of the pan, picking up any dark (and delicious) bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and basil then stir. Simmer 10 minutes or more, until your pasta is ready.
Flashback! Shopping at the market near our apartment in Rome with baby Estelle.
Phoebe and I walking in Rome…Ciao!
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Looking forward to trying it! Thanks for sharing.
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
“Ava,do you want me to make Phoebe’s mom’s spaghetti sauce?” “A:is it vegetarian (because suddenly she’s a vegetarian)?” “Me: Mostly” “A: OK!!”
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Cute! One of the girls in class is a vegetarian so I’ve heard the term come up myself this week. 😉
Hope both of your little guys like this one!
This looks delicious! Is there anything you would recommend to substitute the bacon for a vegetarian? Other than just skipping it?
Hi Beth!
I found a few great ideas for adding smokiness without adding meat from the Kitchn, one of my favorite sources. Let me know if you do try any of them, and how it goes!
This was delicious – thanks! I made it according to your recipe until I added the basil, except that I used the brown function in my electric pressure cooker. Then I added about 1.5 cups of water and 1 box of campanelle. (I was out of spaghetti.). I cooked it for 4 minutes on high pressure, and it was perfect. The pasta absorbed all the extra liquid. Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome to hear! So glad you liked it. Substitutions make recipes like this work for everyone-great suggestions!
Hi Charity,
I would like to try this dish, but I was wondering about the number of servings in the recipe? Also how many grams of pasta do you prepare for this amount of sauce?
Thanks! 🙂
Do you think this sauce would freeze well?
Yes! I’ve made big batches and frozen many times.