Bucatini with Bacon and Tomato the dish is named for the town of Amatrice, about an hour east of Rome, considered by many

Italians to be birthplace of the best cooks on the peninsula. Many dishes at the heart of Roman cooking may indeed have actually started in the region to the east of Lazio, Abruzzo.”

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 23 min.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces thinly sliced guanciale, pancetta, or good bacon

1 red onion, cut lengthwise in half and then into

1⁄4-inch-thick half-moons

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 1⁄2 teaspoons hot red pepper fl akes

2 cups basic tomato sauce

1 pound Barilla bucatini rigati

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1) Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt.

2) Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, combine the olive oil, guanciale, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes; set over low heat and cook until the onion is softened and the guanciale has rendered much of its fat, about 12 minutes.

3) Drain all but 1⁄4 cup of the fat out of the pan (and set aside to cook your eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast). Add

the tomato sauce*, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for 6 to 7 minutes.

4) While the sauce simmers, cook the bucatini in the boiling water for about a minute less than the package directions specify, until still very fi rm; drain.

5) Add the pasta to the simmering sauce and toss for about 1 minute to coat. Divide the pasta among four heated bowls and serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Pecorino.

Guanciale:

While bacon and most similar products come from the belly of a pig, guanciale is made by saltcuring and drying the meat from a hog’s jowls. Although the meat is leaner than traditional pancetta or bacon, it has a richer fl avor. Making guanciale may require a little more planning than simply buying good-quality pancetta or bacon, but its richness of fl avor, combined with a delicate porkiness, distinguishes guanciale from the others, making every dish that much more succulent. At Babbo, we use our homemade guanciale in various dishes, but nowhere is its fullness of fl avor and porky richness more celebrated than in our Bucatini all’Amatriciana.

Notes and Tips for Barilla Sauce:

In a hurry? Substitute Mario’s basic tomato sauce with 1 jar of Barilla Marinara + 1⁄2 cup water Add a little of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to prevent it from getting dry