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Pasta Amatriciana is the Roman classic that turns five pantry staples and a piece of guanciale into a smoky, spicy, deeply savory red sauce, and the first time I made it on a chilly Sunday afternoon the whole house smelled like an Italian trattoria before the pasta water even boiled. If quick garlicky pasta is more your speed tonight, our spaghetti aglio e olio is the classic to reach for.
Crispy guanciale, hand crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and thick bucatini make this one unforgettable bowl of pasta.
Pasta Amatriciana Quick Look
- đź•’ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 578kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, savory tomato sauce with a gentle red pepper kick
- âś‹ Difficulty: Intermediate, a step up from our easy homemade marinara sauce
Quick Answer
Crisp diced guanciale in olive oil, then soften onion in the rendered fat and bloom garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Deglaze with dry white wine, add hand crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. Cook bucatini to al dente, transfer it straight into the sauce with a cup of reserved pasta water, toss until coated, and finish with freshly grated pecorino romano.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Guanciale is the flavor engine. Cured pork jowl renders slowly into crispy bites and leaves behind savory fat that seasons the entire sauce, something bacon can only approximate.
- The rendered fat cooks the onion. Softening the onion in guanciale fat instead of plain oil layers that smoky flavor into every stage of the sauce.
- Hand crushed tomatoes give better texture. Crushing whole San Marzano tomatoes yourself leaves rustic, uneven pieces that break down into a sauce with real body.
- White wine lifts the fond. Deglazing scrapes up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot and adds a bright acidity that balances the rich pork.
- Pasta finishes in the sauce. Moving the bucatini straight from the water into the sauce lets the starchy noodles drink it in while the pasta water emulsifies everything into a glossy coating.
- Pecorino goes in off the heat. Stirring the sharp, salty cheese in at the end keeps it creamy instead of clumpy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant quality Roman pasta from one pot and a handful of ingredients.
- Crispy guanciale in a silky tomato sauce beats plain red sauce every single time.
- It uses the same pasta water trick as our spaghetti aglio e olio for a glossy, clingy sauce.
Key Ingredients
A few authentic Italian ingredients do the heavy lifting here.
- Guanciale: Cured pork jowl is the traditional choice and worth seeking out. Pancetta or thick cut bacon work in a pinch, but guanciale has a deeper, silkier richness.
- San Marzano peeled tomatoes: Sweet, low acid Italian tomatoes you crush by hand for a rustic sauce with real texture.
- Bucatini: The thick, hollow spaghetti of Rome. The center channel pulls sauce into every strand.
- Pecorino romano: Sharp, salty sheep milk cheese, always grate it fresh off the wedge.
- Dry white wine: A splash deglazes the pot and brightens the rich pork fat.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Purists look away, these swaps still make a great pot of pasta.
- No guanciale? Pancetta is the closest swap, and thick cut bacon adds a smokier American spin.
- Swap the bucatini for rigatoni or spaghetti, both are traditional in Rome depending on who you ask.
- Like it spicy? Double the red pepper flakes for a proper arrabbiata style kick.
- Skip the pork entirely and you are most of the way to our easy homemade marinara sauce, another great one to master.
How to Make Pasta Amatriciana
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the guanciale and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and stir constantly until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pot with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, then add the hand crushed tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the bucatini in salted water to al dente, then reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Transfer the pasta directly into the sauce with tongs, add half the reserved pasta water, and stir vigorously until the noodles are coated and the sauce clings.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the grated pecorino romano, and serve immediately with extra cheese on top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Render the guanciale low and slow. Medium heat gives the fat time to melt out before the edges crisp, rushing it burns the outside and wastes the flavor.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand. Squeeze each whole tomato into the pot for a rustic texture a can of crushed tomatoes cannot match.
- Salt the pasta water like the sea. It is your only chance to season the bucatini itself.
- Cook the bucatini shy of al dente. It finishes cooking in the sauce and soaks up flavor as it does.
- Do not skip the pasta water. The starchy water is what turns the sauce glossy and makes it cling to every noodle.
- Grate the pecorino fresh. Pre grated cheese has anti caking agents that keep it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve this pasta amatriciana in warm bowls with an extra flurry of pecorino romano, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a piece of crusty bread for the leftover sauce.
Start the meal Italian style with a simple salad, then follow it with something from the sweet side, or go full trattoria and serve it alongside our margherita pizza for a Roman feast.
If you are building an Italian dinner rotation, our spaghetti and meatballs and cozy baked ziti belong right next to this one.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, the flavors are even better the next day.
Pasta Amatriciana FAQs
The classic Roman recipe is guanciale, tomatoes, pecorino romano, and red pepper flakes tossed with pasta, traditionally bucatini or rigatoni. This version adds onion, garlic, and a splash of white wine for extra depth, which is common in home kitchens across Italy.
Pancetta is the closest substitute since it is also unsmoked cured pork. Thick cut bacon works too and adds a smoky note. Whichever you use, render it slowly over medium heat so the fat melts out before the pork crisps.
Marinara is a meatless tomato sauce built on garlic and herbs. Amatriciana starts with rendered guanciale, so the tomato sauce picks up a rich, savory pork flavor, and it is finished with sharp pecorino romano and red pepper flakes.
Bucatini is the Roman favorite, a thick spaghetti with a hollow center that pulls sauce into every strand. Rigatoni is equally traditional, especially in the town of Amatrice where the sauce was born. Regular spaghetti works fine in a pinch.
The sauce itself keeps beautifully, make it up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Cook the bucatini fresh when you are ready to eat, then finish it in the reheated sauce with a splash of pasta water.
The starch in reserved pasta water emulsifies the sauce, binding the tomato and rendered guanciale fat into a glossy coating that clings to the bucatini instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Half a cup is usually enough, add more as needed.
Made this Pasta Amatriciana? I would love to hear how it turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Keep the Italian dinner streak alive with our 30 minute tortellini bake.
Pasta Amatriciana
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 ounces guanciale small diced
- 1/2 sweet onion small diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 28 ounces San Marzano peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- 1 pound bucatini
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
- Get the olive oil hot over medium heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Once hot, add the guanciale and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.6 ounces guanciale
- Add the onion and cook until translucent; stir often so it doesn’t burn, 8-10 minutes.1/2 sweet onion
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and stir constantly until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and make sure to scrape off any bits off the bottom of the pan.1/4 cup dry white wine
- Add the crushed tomatoes, stir to combine, and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until thickened; lower the heat if necessary.28 ounces San Marzano peeled tomatoes
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the bucatini to al dente.1 pound bucatini
- Once the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water on the side.1 cup reserved pasta water
- Add the pasta from the water directly into the sauce using tongs or something similar.
- Stir to combine, add half of the pasta water, and stir vigorously until the noodles are well coated and the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the grated cheese and serve immediately.1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
Notes
- Large pot of water: Make sure it’s salty like the sea, so the pasta gets flavored from within—pasta water is your friend.
- Use medium-high heat carefully: Don’t let the guanciale burn; aim for golden brown bits, not blackened lumps.
- Reserve pasta water: A small measuring cup’s worth can help the sauce cling to the noodles better when you combine them at the end.
- Don’t drown the sauce: This is a tomato-driven dish, so keep an eye on the consistency. The sauce should lightly coat the bucatini, not soup it up.
- Taste along the way: Check for saltiness—pig jowl (guanciale) can be pretty salty, so you might not need as much extra salt as you think.
- Serve hot: This is a dish best eaten right away. Let it stand too long, and the noodles might absorb too much sauce, getting soggy.
Nutrition
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