The Stinky Chef: Bucatini all’Amatriciana

During these strange and uncertain times, we’re all in need of a pick-me-up. And what better than something to feed the body as well as the soul. In a new series, James Gingell from The Stinky Chef deli in Rawtenstall, Lancashire shares a series of delicious recipes.

Gingell says: “‘Bucco’ is Italian for hole. Bucatini is a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a cavity running through the centre. The dish is named after the town of Amatrice and commonly eaten around Rome. Usually flavoured with Guanciale (peppered pig’s jowl), that is also typically found in the famous carbonara, another dish acquired by the Romans.” 

Bucatini all’Amatriciana (Pasta in the style of ‘Amatrice’)

Ingredients

Serves 4

500g dried Bucatini (or thick spaghetti)

4 medium-sized plum tomatoes (roughly chopped)

120g diced guanciale (pancetta or bacon)

1 medium-sized red onion (peeled and thinly sliced)

3g dried red chilli flakes

2 garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced)

80ml extra virgin olive oil

400g basic tomato sauce (or passata)

60g freshly grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan cheese)

30g flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)

Salt and pepper

Method

Cook the pasta for the required time in salted boiling water.

Then add the oil to a heated pan, add diced guanciale, first frying gently to render the fat. Follow this with the garlic slices, chopped tomatoes and sliced red onion.

Next, add chilli flakes and the tomato sauce. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Drain the cooked pasta and keep warm while the sauce is finished.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Add the pasta to the sauce with chopped parsley and toss all ingredients together.

Place into four warm pasta bowls and finish with freshly grated Pecorino cheese.

Buon Appetito.

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