9/23/09

bucatini all’amatriciana

bucatini all’amatriciana

One of my favorite pasta dishes of all. I've seen this made several ways in food blogger-land and in restaurants, and I even have my own take on it. I use a basic recipe from mario batali at babbo. Mario has some of the most perfect Italian dishes ever; yes I know he's Italian, but he truly has the perfect touch on Italian cuisine. Have you ever been to babbo in nyc? You must go, if you are an avid Italian-foodie. They have this dish called " sweet potato lune with sage and amaretti" that is, the oh, how do I describe it in words for you? Heaven, heavenly, perfect pairing of pasta, sweet potato and a touch of amaretti? And before I forget, this is important, mario batali has the best basic tomato sauce I've ever come across. I make it all the time when I want a fresh tasting tomato sauce. That same sauce is used in this recipe and is a perfect sauce for making large batches and freezing and/or canning; you can use it on almost all of your Italian red sauce recipes. Something about his tomato sauce is just right: the right balance in acidity with sweet. Try it sometime, I think you might grow to like it as I have done over the decade, plus it's very easy for anyone just starting out in cooking Italian cuisine.

bucatini all’amatriciana

What I do to this recipe, which can be found here, I add chopped roasted red peppers to this right after I sauteed the red onions. I've always like the extra taste of the roasted peppers. If you can find guanciale please use it; if not then pancetta will do. Please note my changes.

Bucatini all’amatriciana
From babbo

¾ pound guanciale, or pancetta, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves
1 red onion medium size, halved & sliced ½-inch thick
1 roasted red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 ½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups basic tomato sauce (I used 1 cup, see below for recipe)
1 pound bucatini
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
Pecorino Romano, for grating

Being 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.
Place the guanciale slices in a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan in a single layer and cook over medium-low heat until most of the fat has been rendered from the meat, turning occasionally.
Remove the meat to a plate lined with paper towels and discard half the fat (I never discard the fat, only a 1/4 of it; you need some of the fat for flavor), leaving enough to coat the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes.
Return the guanciale to the pan with the vegetables, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the onions, garlic and guanciale are light golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook the bucatini in the boiling water according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering sauce. Add the parsley leaves, increase the heat to high and toss to coat. Divide the pasta among four warmed pasta bowls. Top with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and serve immediately.

Basic Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot (I use one large carrot), finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand & juices reserved
Salt, to taste

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Should make 4 cups.

43 comments:

  1. Awesome comfort dish!!

    I haven't been to Babbo (yet!), but I love Mario Batali :-D

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  2. This looks so good and filling! Yum! I have never been to babbo! Our friend, whose a chef, named his dog babbo!

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  3. Another one on the list...yeesh, it's full of your stuff. I'd have to leave out the peppers though...I've never liked them.

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  4. I'm bookmarking this recipe. Sounds so yummy.

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  5. I want to bury my face in that NOW, please.

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  6. If someone will sponsor two peeps to fly to NY right now, we will go and come back with our pov on the sweet potato sage pasta. :) Know anyone? Anything pasta feels good. Looks like Batali knows what he's doing. Of course.

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  7. Oh my that looks so freaking good!!!

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  8. k..even though I cant pronounce the name of your pasta, it still looks pretty DAMN good! LOL

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  9. I love this pasta too!Your version looks delicious! I've never been to Babbo because I thought that his menu was sort of out there. Not traditional Italian. I'm sure it's great if you eat all that stuff. I'm not so brave! lol

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  10. Oh my gosh, this looks so good! You've got a new follower my friend! Glad I found you through La Bella Cook. I'm the one of the other 'bellas'! Happy cooking! I'll be back to read more! Ciao, Roz

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  11. Looks like I need to break out those Batali cookbooks again and take another look. Your photo is perfection and does a beautiful job of showing just how delicious this dish is with the hearty sauce. Beautiful job, my friend.

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  12. This is the perfect plate of pasta. I already had dinner and this is making me hungray all over again!

    I'll have to give this tomato sauce a try. I never make any because my MIL always makes double batches and sends them over!

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  13. wow a week in the fridge. ive never tried to keep pasta for tha long. or maybe i just eat it all before then

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  14. yum, my kind of comfort food ;)

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  15. it's the orange clogs. like samson and his hair, the clogs are the source of mario's strength. :)
    awesome re-creation, dawn. it's simple yet delicious and oh-so-classy.

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  16. yum i bet this is bursting with flavour!! definitely a must try for the colder months! :-)

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  17. Looks wonderful. And thanks for the tip about the basic tomato sauce. I'm going to make some and freeze it.

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  18. Oh that does sound & look good! But what I'm really craving is the sweet potato dish you mentioned.

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  19. YUM YUM delish dish Dawn...true comfort food!

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  20. I've always wanted to make this dish at home, but I've never tried. Definitely bookmarking this to try soon I hope! Looks delicious.

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  21. This is one of my favorites and you did it beautifully! Your spin is awesome. i need to invite myself over to your house for dinner AND dessert real soon! ;-)

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  22. Bookmarked! This looks pretty, tasty and hearty. My kind of dish.

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  23. I love amatriciana. I have a nice simple recipe that I like, but next time I make it I'm definitely adding roasted peppers. That must have been awesome.

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  24. Bucatini all’amatriciana sounds fantastic! I haven't been to Babbo yet but I have a cookbook which I have been scared of for a while :), but I think it's about time I've cooked something from it!

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  25. This looks really perfect Dawn! It has been ages since I have been able to find bucatini!

    I love Mario's food (Yea, I can call him Mario) and his shows because he really shows you that Italian food is so regional and so varied. What we recognize here in the states as "Italian Food" is SO limited. Half the stuff we make here, people from Italy have never even heard of (like my in-laws). My brother in law when he was visiting took pictures of all the "Italian" food he had here because it was amusing to him.

    I have never been to Babbo, but I really wanna go - I hear the desserts by Gina De Palma are also excellent! Her cookbook is fantastic! You need it.

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  26. Have you been to Mario Bartoli's other restaurant Lupa? It's one of my favorites in the city! Their buccatini is delicious, and the prices are more affordable than Babbo and Del Posto!

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  27. I'd love to have this for dinner tonight. I seriously do!!

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  28. Dawn this does look like a delicious bowl of pasta! Perfecto!

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  29. that looks awesome, and mario has got it goin on ;) i'll have to try that sauce!

    apple picking next sunday am, smolak farms... i think the cooler weather this week will get me in the mood! i can't believe we're already at the end of september... eek!

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  30. This is just fantastic! Thank you for including Chef Batali's tomato sauce: I must admit to still using sauce from a jar (albeit organic & all-natural) but I'd love to start making my own, especially when it's this simple and comes with your recommendation! Now, about that 'sweet potato lune' . . .

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  31. Happy Birthday Thursday - I missed it but didnt forget...

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  32. That is one tasty looking pasta! Great way to enjoy some roasted red peppers.

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  33. Gorgeous and comforting! Love it.

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  34. I just saved this recipe - it looks so yummy and I can't wait to try the sauce!

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  35. I'm def holding onto this tomato sauce recipe. I'm not a big pasta kid, but I love tomato sauce. I don't think I've seen thyme in it before.

    Wanna hear something weird? I add cocoa to my tomato sauce. I dunno, I'm a strange cat :)

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  36. Looks so tantalizing and mouthwatering. i'm just dying to reach for a bite. The perfect comfort dish.

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  37. This is making me so hungry.

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  38. We love this pasta. I like the addition of the roasted red pepper.
    Mimi

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  39. Can you come over and cook for me? I'll pay you!

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  40. Gosh, I remember in high school I used to eat this at least once a week for lunch at the cafeteria. This looks SO much better. Can't wait to try it :)

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  41. Made this for supper tonight. It was awesome! It is chilly and rainy here in Columbus, Ohio. Great comfort food. New to your site and this was my first recipe.

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