Bucatini All’ Amatriciana: When In Rome Eat Like A Roman

 

Updated: October 2022

I asked my companion (he lived in Rome), to take me somewhere that only the locals go, because one thing you can be sure of,  locals eat the best food in the city. They do not hang out in the crowded, overpriced, and not very authentic restaurants where many tourists unwittingly end up.

One night in Rome we ate dinner at a trattoria (restaurant) that was full of locals dining– nary a tourist in sight. And that’s another tip for finding good food when traveling—if possible, get off the tourist path.

The owner of the trattoria was there, which is not uncommon because by nature these are small, family-owned dining spots.  I told him I wanted to try a traditional Roman dish and I asked him for a suggestion. “Do you like pasta?” the owner asked.

“Of course,” I replied.

“With cream sauce or a red sauce?”

“Definitely red.” Any pasta with red sauce is fine with me.

“Perfetto, you should try the bucatini all’amatriciana, one of the most typical Roman dishes.” The owner spoke in Italian and my dinner companion, Silvio, translated. Bucatini all’amatriciana is considered a classic Roman dish, even though it originated elsewhere in the region of Lazio.

Now, you probably want to know if I liked it. Well, that was seven years ago. I’m pretty sure I liked it because if I didn’t, I’d remember that! Besides, what’s not to like about pasta, tomatoes, pork, and cheese?

What I do remember is how happy I was…I finally felt that after two weeks in Italy, I was experiencing just a little bit of the la dolce vita that I’d heard so much about. I think it’s pretty evident from the photo below that I had a great time.

If you don’t know anyone in Rome to take you to the best places to eat, try a food tour. I took a tour with Devour Tours and discovered several new restaurants, one restaurant served us an amatriciana pasta. After a long absence from Rome, it seemed only fitting that I should eat this dish the first night back. 

 

What is bucatini all’amatriciana?

 Bucatini comes from the word buco, which means hole, and bucato, which means pierced. Bucatini is a pasta that looks similar to spaghetti but is a long noodle with a hole in the center, like a noodle straw. It’s very common in the Lazio region, especially in Rome. The sauce (amatriciana) is very basic. It’s a tomato base flavored with pork jowl, onion, and grated pecorino romano cheese. Simple and delicious.

I’ve written a lot about Rome, but not much about the food of Rome. To get inspired I invited a friend over for dinner so that I had to cook.
(yes, I cooked) bucatini all’amatriciana.

Now one cannot eat an Italian meal without a bit of wine to accompany the food.
I tried to find a nice red wine from the Lazio region to go with the sauce. As it turns out, Lazio doesn’t export a lot of wine. What is readily available is Frascati, a light and very drinkable white wine from the region of Frascati, about twenty miles from Rome. Since it’s summer where I live, Frascati is a nice wine option: it’s light and slightly fruity, with mild acidity. A great wine for sipping on a hot day or to drink with a meal.

 

 

I’m currently reading Eating Rome… I used the recipe that author Elizabeth Mincelli shares in the book. I did make some adaptations, however. After stopping at three grocery stores I could not find any bucatini pasta, so I bought rigatoni. Instead of pork jowl,  I just used good old bacon. Bacon makes everything taste good, as we all know. I added a bit of garlic because I like it. Pecorino cheese was replaced with parmesan cheese.  Even with all these adaptations, it was delicious.

Here is Ms. Mincelli’s authentic recipe:

3 thick slices of guanciale (pork jowl) chopped into small cubes (you can substitute pancetta or unsmoked bacon)
2 T. of extra virgin olive oil as needed
1 small onion chopped
Hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1 – 28oz. can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and their liquid
1 lb. of bucatini
1/2 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese or more as needed

Place the guanciale in a medium saute pan over medium heat and let it cook and sizzle until just starting to brown. It should give up quite a bit of fat. Turn off the heat and using a slotted spoon scoop the guanciale bits up and set aside. If there isn’t a lot of rendered fat left in the pan add a bit of olive oil. Turn the heat back on, add the onion, and cook until quite soft but not browned. At this point, you add a bit of red pepper flake if you like to give it some kick. Add the tomatoes and their liquid to the pan along with reserved guanciale and let the sauce bubble away for at least half an hour. It should reduce quite a bit and thicken. If you think it’s getting too thick add a bit of water.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the bucatini and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta reserving a cup of water and transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Stir to combine and cook briefly over gentle heat just to melt the flavors.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. If the sauce seems to thick add a bit of the reserved pasta water. Serve with extra cheese on the side at the table.

Now that you know how to eat like a Roman… Mangia!

Want to learn more about Rome?

Read: 6 Favorite Moments in Rome