AMATRICIANA PASTA

Amatriciana Pasta image

Provided by Claire Thomas : Food Network

Time 25m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces guanciale, pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (I prefer canned cherry tomatoes)
1/2 pound bucatini
1 cup freshly grated pecorino

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
While waiting for the water to boil, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the guanciale and cook slowly, stirring occasionally and letting the fat render, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the guanciale with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate, leaving the fat in the skillet. Add the dried herbs to the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the can of tomatoes, smash the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon, and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, while you boil the pasta.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the sauce. (Don't worry about shaking off the water beforehand; the water is nice and starchy and will help the dish come together.) Stir the pasta and the sauce together, adding a little pasta water, if needed, to thin the sauce.
Reserve 2 teaspoons of the cooked guanciale. Add the remaining cooked guanciale, half of the pecorino and some pepper. Stir and cook until the pasta is barely tender and the sauce has a nice sheen to it, about 2 minutes. Plate the pasta and garnish with the remaining pecorino and reserved 2 teaspoons of guanciale.