Classic Amatriciana bucatini

Classic Amatriciana bucatini

This southern Italian dish is made with just five ingredients - just use the best tomatoes and bacon you can find

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 5 - 6

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Freezable

Sauce can be frozen

Method

  1. Put the tomatoes into a food processor in batches and whizz to a fine pulp. Sieve into a large pan, in batches again, pressing through as much tomato as you can with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 20-30 mins until the sauce has reduced by a third to about 700ml. This homemade passata can now be frozen.
  2. Put the bacon or pancetta into a cold, large, heavy-based frying pan. Place over a medium heat - the fat will slowly melt and the bacon will cook. Add the whole chillies (don't worry, they come out at the end) and cook for 8-10 mins with the bacon until the bacon is sizzling and golden all over. Stir in the tomato sauce, bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 mins.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, then drain well. While still hot, tip it into the sauce, sprinkle with most of the cheese and stir well. Remove the whole chillies, dish the pasta onto plates and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Try

Seasoning

The salty pecorino cheese and smoked meat should mean there is no need to add extra salt. The chilli will add heat, so you may not need pepper.

Per serving

747 kcalories, protein 40g, carbohydrate 86g, fat 28 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 7g, sugar 15g, salt 3.47 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2010.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo SabinaP

    23 August 2010

    SabinaP rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo harrietlikesyou

    23 August 2010

    harrietlikesyou rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Elizabeth

    25 September 2010

    Elizabeth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Making the homemade pasatta is really worth the effort as bursting with flavour - I added extra chilli for extra kick. Great for a weekend pasta dish.

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  • Binder photo Menapian

    18 April 2011

    Menapian rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Intriguing mix of flavours that left one feeling a little merry.

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  • Binder photo Beth

    01 July 2011

    Beth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really lovely. I added a pinch of sugar so soften the acid in the tomato.

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  • Binder photo Robin McHood

    28 June 2012

    Robin McHood rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely gorgeous.... and so simple. I used tagliatelle lacking the buccatini and worked a treat.. Chilli just gives a nice hint of fire without overwhelming anything. Used cherry toms and pancetta with pecorino brought back from our recent trip to Florence... I should have been born Italian I think...

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  • Binder photo cup cake

    03 October 2012

    cup cake rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made this for my m,an to batch freeze, while making n tetsting it was delicious so much so im making it tonight for my mum and i :) great flavours but i may add shrooms jus cuz i love em!

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  • Binder photo cup cake

    03 October 2012

    cup cake commented on this recipe

    used parma ham with a lil rind to release bacon like juice, also added button halved mushrooms, a scotch bonnet chilli n asparagus and brocolli about 4 stalks of each for 2 of us, wow...............this will be a regular. Awesome flavours as it is witten but with added veg beefed it out n added to the favaour too, mmmmmmmmmmm! :)

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  • Binder photo Paul

    30 October 2012

    Paul rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    Made this tonight and found the sauce to be very bland and watery. I added some shop bought passata, Worcester sauce & a few herbs. The finished result was superb. I will certainly make this again but with the changes.

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  • Binder photo Yulia.Pilova

    31 October 2012

    Yulia.Pilova rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I used canned tomatoes and chilli powder (I quite overused chilli powder, so it has an effect of gun powder:)), also I used some randomness cheese from the fridge, nevertheless the sauce turned out really good.

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  • Binder photo Yulia.Pilova

    31 October 2012

    Yulia.Pilova commented on this recipe

    Oh, I meant random, of course.

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  • Binder photo Sarah's

    31 October 2012

    Sarah's rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Just made this as was a little disappointed. There was no depth to the tomato sauce. I have made it with carton passata which is nicer and less work.

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  • Binder photo AllyBally

    02 November 2012

    AllyBally rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely!

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  • Binder photo RichB

    30 May 2013

    RichB rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Very nice and simple. Works just as well with ready made passata and Parmesan.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 5 - 6

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Freezable

Sauce can be frozen

Ingredients

  • 2kg tomatoes - cherry, plum or ordinary - roughly chopped
  • 250g smoked bacon , cut into strips, or cubetti di pancetta
  • 2 small red chillies
  • 500g bag bucatini
  • 200g pecorino , grated
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Per serving

747 kcalories, protein 40g, carbohydrate 86g, fat 28 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 7g, sugar 15g, salt 3.47 g

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