Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Ingredients

• 400 g Bucatini
• 150 g Guanciale
• 400 g Tomatoes
• 80 g Pecorino romano
• 50 ml White wine
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 pinch Salt

Steps

1. Remove the rind from the guanciale and cut the meat into strips about 1 cm thick and 4 cm long.
2. Put the guanciale into a cold, wide pan with no oil and set over medium-low heat.
3. Let it render slowly, stirring now and then, until the strips are golden and crisp at the edges, about 7-8 minutes.
4. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until the alcohol smell is gone, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan.
5. Lift the guanciale out with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
6. Add the peeled tomatoes to the fat, crushing them with a spoon.
7. Season with a little salt and a good grind of black pepper, and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and darkens.
8. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it lightly (the guanciale and pecorino are already salty), and cook the bucatini until just shy of al dente.
9. Return the crisp guanciale to the sauce and let it warm through for 1-2 minutes.
10. Drain the bucatini, reserving a cup of pasta water, and toss them in the pan with the sauce over the heat, adding a splash of pasta water to bind everything.
11. Off the heat, add most of the grated pecorino romano and toss vigorously until creamy.
12. Serve at once with the remaining pecorino and a final grind of black pepper.

Tips

• Use real guanciale, not pancetta or bacon — its silky fat is the soul of the dish. Render it in a cold dry pan so the fat melts gently and the meat turns crisp without burning. Take the pan off the heat before adding the pecorino, or the cheese will seize into clumps instead of turning creamy.