Getting cheeky

Sorry about the lack of posts. I’ve been occupied with various and sundry other things, but am now getting back to my blogging.

Last week I posted a light ravioli dish. In response Judith from Think on It requested a typical hot and spicy abruzzese dish and I’m happy to oblige. So, here it is (drum roll please)…..

Bucatini all’amatriciana

This dish is named after the town of Amatrice, now located in Lazio, but once part of Abruzzo. Up until 1923 it was part of the Province of Aquila so this is really an Abruzzese dish and this spicy pasta is a favorite here. O particularly likes it because it’s made with his favorite pasta, bucatini. In fact, when we made a trip to the US last winter, we had to search high and low for bucatini because he just wasn’t happy without it. When he finally found it he let out a triumphant cry and, of course, we had it for lunch that day.

Bucatini is a tubular spaghetti-like pasta which goes very well with thick sauces. There’s also a slightly thinner version called perciatelli.

Many people make this dish with pancetta, even though the original calls for guanciale. Guanciale is very similar to pancetta, however it is made with the cheek of the pig instead of the belly. Belly in italian is pancia, hence pancetta while cheek is guancia, hence guanciale. I have to admit, up until recently, I always made it with pancetta, saying it was the same. The guanciale does add a different flavor though, so I’ve changed my mind and am now a guanciale advocate. For those of you who can’t find guanciale, it’s still good when it’s made with pancetta (obviously since that’s all I ever made it with before). If you can’t find pancetta where you live either, look for something called salt pork, which I did see in supermarkets in the US. The recipe won’t be quite the same, but it will still taste good. Don’t use bacon though since it’s smoked and will completely change the flavor of the dish.

Guanciale

As you can see, my guanciale already has some hot pepper on the top. Even though the meat was spicy already, I added more hot pepper to the dish. I never used to like spicy dishes, but living here I’ve gotten more used to it and, this dish is best when it’s nice and piccante. I’ve even got a plant with tiny hot peppers growing on my windowsill.

The hot pepper is used a lot here. Whenever pasta is served, a hot pepper is passed around along with the grated cheese. Each person uses a small pair of scissors or a sharp knife to add slivers of it to their plate, then mixing it in. In this manner, every once in a while you get a bite containing an explosion of hot pepper. Even though this recipe has the hot pepper added in already, I’ve still seen people adding more – they like hot pepper that much. If you too like a really spicy dish, feel free to add more.

I also often see onions used in this recipe, I’ve never used onions or eaten this dish when it was made with onions, therefore I haven’t included them here.

So, let’s get cooking. By the way, we can our tomatoes ourselves, but it works out to the equivalent of a 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes.

And please, don’t add black pepper to this recipe. It’s one of my pet peeves that every recipe written in America calls for black pepper as if it’s a staple of life, even when the original recipe doesn’t use it at all. To be honest, it doesn’t seemed to be used very often here. I most often see it in sopressata and certain other cured meat and salami or in the dish Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

But, back to today’s recipe…

For 500 grams of Pasta you will need

200 grams Guanciale (about 7 ounces)
1 large can chopped tomatoes
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1/2 glass of white wine
1 tsp+ ground hot pepper or hot pepper flakes
salt
grated Pecorino

Start your water boiling for your pasta and add salt. This sauce does not take long to cook. In fact, it’s best when it’s chunky, so you don’t want to cook your tomatoes for too long. The pasta will take about 9 minutes to cook, so start making your sauce a few minutes before throwing your pasta in.

Cut the guanciale into small cubes and place in a large frying pan with high sides along with a tablespoon of Olive oil and the hot pepper. Cook over high heat for a few minutes until it has started to change color and the fat has mostly melted, but don’t let it get crispy.

Add the wine to the pan, stir and then add your tomatoes and salt to the pan, bringing to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook for a few minutes more. Taste it for salt and hot pepper, adding more according to your preferences. At this point, if your pasta is not yet done, turn the burner off and cover with a lid to keep the heat in.

Once your pasta has cooked, strain it, add it to the pan with the sauce, and toss it all together.

Serve hot and pass the grated pecorino.

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