The Kitchn: Bucatini all'Amatriciana is destined to be your new favorite weeknight pasta
The tomatoes: I call for crushed or diced canned tomatoes in this recipe, but you can also use passata. Barely cook the sauce to keep the flavors fresh and light.
The pasta: Original iterations of the sauce used spaghetti. Bucatini came on to the scene after the sauce made its way to Rome. If you travel to Rome today, you’ll likely find it served with bucatini. Nowadays, rigatoni is also frequently used.
The cheese: Pecorino Romano is a salty dry cheese used in this sauce. If you can’t find it you can substitute for Parmesan — but, again, it won’t be true Amatriciana.
A little something extra
True Amatriciana doesn’t include garlic or oregano, but in this recipe I add a couple cloves of crushed garlic and a large sprig of marjoram to add another layer of gentle flavor to the sauce. I crush, gently simmer, and then remove the aromatics so they don’t overpower the sauce. You can sub the marjoram with oregano or you can omit the garlic and marjoram all together.
Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Serves 4 to 6
Kosher salt
1 pound dried bucatini or rigatoni pasta
2 cloves garlic (optional)
...continued
