Spaghetti all' Amatriciana

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500g spaghetti
• 1 red chili pepper, fresh or dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125 g guanciale, alternatively pancetta
• 50 ml dry white wine
• 400 g tomatoes, peeled, from the can, chopped
• 100 g Pecorino
• Salt
• Possibly pepper, only if an alternative to guanciale is used

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Cut the guanciale, without the rind, into thin strips (not cubes! The cubes will dry out when steamed without fat!). Grate the pecorino. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add plenty of salt. Rule of thumb: 100g pasta – 1 liter water – 1 heaped teaspoon of salt (approx. 8g). Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the guanciale and the whole chili pepper. Fry the guanciale over medium heat. It should take on as little color as possible. Deglaze the guanciale with the white wine, remove from the pan, and set aside. Leave the chili pepper in the pan. Add the tomatoes to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the instructions until al dente (approx. 10 minutes). About 2 minutes before the end of the pasta cooking time, remove the chili pepper, add the guanciale to the pan with the tomatoes, and season the sauce with a little more salt if necessary (note: the pecorino is also salted!). If the sauce is too thick, thin it with the pasta cooking water. If you did not use guanciale, season it with a little pepper (since the guanciale is heavily rubbed with pepper, this is usually not necessary!). Drain the spaghetti, reserving the cooking water, and toss it with a good 2/3 of the grated pecorino. Then add the guanciale tomato sauce, mix (if necessary, thin it again with the cooking water, as the pasta will continue to absorb water), and divide it between plates. Sprinkle the remaining pecorino over the pasta and serve immediately.