Spaghetti all' Amatriciana

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 130 g ham (pancetta) or streaky bacon
• 2 onions
• 600 g tomato(s), aromatic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 50 ml dry white wine
• 1 peperoncini, dried or fresh
• some salt and pepper, black
• 500 g spaghetti or bucatini
• salt water
• 3 stalks parsley, flat
• e.g. Parmesan or Pecorino

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

a must for every pasta fan

Cut the pancetta into cubes (I prefer them a little larger, with an edge length of about 8 mm). Peel the onions and dice them as well (I also find it better to use more generously, but that’s a matter of taste). Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel, deseed, and dice them. Finely chop the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a pan, sauté the pancetta and onion cubes over low heat for about 5 minutes. The pancetta shouldn’t become crispy or dark, but should remain nice and soft, and the onions just translucent. Then deglaze with the white wine, add the tomatoes and chopped garlic, and add the peperoncini (crumbled if dried, finely chopped if fresh). Season the sauce with salt and pepper—be careful with the salt, as the pancetta already has a salty flavor—and let it simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions – al dente is essential! Pasta that’s too soft is just as much a killer for this recipe as flavorless tomatoes. Wash the parsley and roughly chop the leaves. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce, and sprinkle with the parsley. Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino, if desired.