Skip to content

Meat, Italy

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Bucatini all'amatriciana is a Roman pasta dish for 4 people, ready in 35 minutes, rated easy, for about €2.60 per person. The key is letting the pancetta render slowly in a cold pan until crisp, then simmering a chili spiked tomato sauce until it thickens before tossing it with the pasta.

Tonight we're headed to Rome with bucatini coated in a tomato sauce with pancetta and chili, finished with grated pecorino.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
720 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Crispy pancetta, tomato sauce that has slowly thickened, just enough chili heat and salty pecorino melting over hot pasta, that is what gives this dish its character. Bucatini, those long hollow strands of pasta, catch the sauce both inside and out, so every bite carries a bit of everything.

This is a weeknight dish for when you want something warm and straightforward without spending hours in the kitchen. Kids generally like the tomato sauce and the pasta itself, so just go lighter on the chili in their portion. Adults who like more heat can always add extra chili flakes at the table.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Bucatinioften in the pantry 400 g
  • Peeled tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Dried chilioften in the pantry 1
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 5 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Butcher

  • Pancetta or smoked diced bacon 150 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1

Dairy

  • Grated pecorino 60 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Put the pancetta in a cold pan and let it brown slowly. 8 min

    Remove it once golden, it will keep cooking in the sauce.

  2. In the rendered fat, cook the sliced onion and the chili.

    Crush the chili to release its heat.

  3. Deglaze with white wine, add the hand crushed tomatoes and let the sauce reduce. 15 min

    The sauce thickens and takes on a rounder flavor.

  4. Cook the bucatini in salted water, then drain, saving a ladle of cooking water. 11 min

    Bucatini are hollow, so they take a bit longer to cook.

  5. Toss the pasta with the sauce and pancetta, adding a little pasta water, then scatter with pecorino.

    Don't cook the pecorino, add it off the heat.

Our tips to get it right

  • Crush the peeled tomatoes by hand instead of blending them, the sauce keeps more texture with small chunks left in.
  • Always save a ladle of pasta cooking water before draining, it binds the sauce and gives it a glossy finish.
  • Use pancetta rather than regular bacon lardons if you can, its fat renders differently and gives the sauce more flavor.

The variations

  • If you don't have pancetta, smoked diced bacon works just as well, the flavor will just be a touch smokier.
  • For a vegetarian version, swap the pancetta for diced button mushrooms and brown them the same way in olive oil.
  • For kids in a hurry, remove the chili from the sauce before mixing it with the pasta, then offer extra chili on the side for adults.

What to serve it with

  • A sharp, tangy green salad
  • Crusty bread for mopping up sauce
  • Sparkling water with lemon

Storage

The sauce and pasta keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can freeze the sauce alone for up to 2 months, but cooked pasta loses texture once thawed. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water to bring back the softness.

Questions about this dish

Can you use parmesan instead of pecorino?

Yes, parmesan works well if you don't have pecorino on hand. It will taste a bit less salty and less sharp, but the dish still turns out great.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the tomato and pancetta sauce the day before and keep it in the fridge. Warm it gently in a pan before tossing it with freshly cooked pasta.

How do you make this milder for kids?

Remove the dried chili before mixing the sauce with the pasta, or set aside a portion of sauce beforehand. You can always add extra chili to the adults' plates.

Why start the pancetta in a cold pan?

Starting cold gives the pancetta's fat time to render slowly before it browns. That way it turns crisp without burning or sticking to the pan.

How long does it take to make a plate of bucatini all'amatriciana?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a plate of bucatini all'amatriciana?

About 720 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a plate of bucatini all'amatriciana cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Italian cuisine

See all

Cheese recipes

See all