Spaghetti All’Amatriciana

Amatrice: one town, one sauce

Even before last year’s devastating earthquake – which adds to the numerous seismic catastrophes since 1639, the name Amatrice has been known outside Italy through its most emblematic dish, spaghetti all’amatriciana.

Last year Amatrice had joined the select club of I borghi piu belli d’Italia (Italy’s most beautiful towns).

Let us talk about the sauce that made this town famous. Historians think the sauce has a bucolic origin. They say it was a dish made of the things that shepherds could carry in their bags, or could easily obtain, such as bacon, fat, dry pasta…

We must point out that this dish does not use bacon or pancetta. The type of bacon required is called guanciale (from the Italian word guancia, cheek), which is bacon made from a pork’s double chin, a succulent food.

The directions for the basic recipe were: Sauté chopped guanciale in fat. Cook pasta; mix with guanciale and add black pepper. This would make spaghetti alla gricia, from the neighboring town of Grisciano.

Amatriciana sauce is basically a gricia sauce with added tomato. The recipe for amatriciana cannot date back to times prior to the XVIII century, because that is when tomato was made into a sauce and used with pasta. The first written reference for tomato sauce is in “The New Art of Cookery” (1749) by Juan de Altimiras.

Besides introducing tomatoes, which were brought from the south (from Napoli to Rome, and from the latter to Amatrice), the dish was smoothened by substituting sheep fat with olive oil.

All of this led to the dish we know nowadays. A dish, as we have mentioned, simple, yet historical and pleasant. If you tasted this dish we wouldn’t be surprised to know that you have become amatori and amatrice of it. Like many others, this dish evolved from a shepherd’s home to at least Roman trattoria level. The dish was first served in the city by Amatrician shepherds who had migrated to the city due to a crisis in shepherding.

The authentic temple for this recipe, a symbol of the city, was the historic Hotel Roma, which was completely destroyed by the earthquake. Let us be optimistic though; the town where a plate like this was created is immortal, so Amatrice, will arise from its ashes with everyone’s help.

 

Source: http://cadenaser.com/ser/2016/08/29/gastro/1472469627_255608.html

 

RECIPE

Two servings

Ingredients

200 g (7 OZ.) Bucatini or Spaghetti

150 g (5.3 OZ.) chopped tomato or peeled tomato

50 g (1.7 OZ.) guanciale or bacon

Half a small onion

1 dry pepperoncino (bird’s beak chili pepper powder)

White wine

50 g (1.7 OZ.) shredded pecorino cheese

Salt

Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Peel three or four very ripe tomatoes. Remove seeds and gel and cut tomatoes into large pieces.
2. Fry sliced strips of guanciale in a medium-large sized skillet, because it will be used to sauté the pasta. Guanciale can be fried at medium low heat, without the need for oil, since the fat it renders is enough.
3. When guanciale is crispy, add a splash of dry white wine and let it reduce, so the alcohol evaporates.
4. Remove guanciale and sauté finely chopped onion and pepperoncino.
5. When onion is golden, add tomato flesh to the skillet.
6. After 7 minutes, taste mix for salt; add more if necessary.
7. When fried mix is ready, add the bucatini al dente as well as a large spoonful of the cooking water.
8. Sauté pasta for another 20 seconds, add guanciale and sauté pasta one more minute.

To serve pasta, top with shredded pecorino. Place a bowl with shredded pecorino at the table, in case anyone wants to add more to pasta.