Bucatini all’Amatriciana is a delicious pasta recipe! The sauce in this recipe is really quick to make yet boasts a big flavor!
Bucatini is a long tubular pasta, almost like a hollow spaghetti and it pairs perfectly with a rich and flavorful tomato sauce.
This dish is like a taste of Italy along with other favorites like Italian Wedding Soup or mozzarella stuffed meatballs, and an appetizer of bruschetta.
What is Bucatini?
Bucatini pasta is shaped like spaghetti (but thicker) and it is hollow in the middle. The hole in the middle of this long pasta captures all of the juicy goodness of the sauce.
It is definitely a heartier pasta and lends itself well to heavier sauces like tomato-based ones. If bucatini is hard to find, then spaghetti noodles will do or even a penne pasta in a pinch!
Ingredients
Much like a Spaghetti Carbonara (and many Italian dishes to be honest) this doesn’t contain a ton of ingredients so it’s a good idea to make sure they’re high quality.
- Pancetta This adds a salty flavor and while guanciale (pork cheek) is traditional, pancetta is easy to find. You can substitute bacon if it’s all you have on hand.
- Tomatoes Tomatoes are the base of the sauce so splurge for a can of San Marzano Italian tomatoes, you’ll be glad you did. This recipe uses whole tomatoes (instead of diced) as they tend to have a better consistency.
- Cheese This dish adds a bit of parmesan although pecorino is traditional. If you have pecorino, by all means use that. If not, a good quality parmesan is just fine in this recipe. Be sure to grate your own cheese (instead of purchasing grated cheese).
How To Make Bucatini Amatriciana
Bucatini is a great pasta and pairs well with a hearty flavorful sauce.
- Cook and drain the pasta. Reserve the pasta water.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand and set aside in a bowl. Cook pancetta until crisp in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened.
Sauce Consistency: Add cooked pasta to the sauce and add a little pasta water to get the right consistency.
The sauce thickens up and the starchy pasta water thins it out enough that it can seep into the hollow of the bucatini noodles.
What To Serve With Bucatini Amatriciana
Bucatini all’Amatriciana is best served with lighter side dishes like a fresh tossed salad and a slice of garlic bread.
Traditional Italian Favorites
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Penne alla Vodka
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pancetta diced
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces can whole tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 12 ounces bucatini or spaghetti/linguine
Instructions
- Crush whole tomatoes by hand.
- Cook pancetta in a pan over medium heat until crisp.
- Add onions and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes with juices, water, pepper flakes and salt to taste. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add pasta to sauce, stirring in pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Add cheese and parsley and serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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