Recipe: Pasta all’Amatriciana

Written By Baker's Table

Although produce is always shifting in and out, we do find ourselves finding a few ‘regular’ dishes at Baker’s Table that we come back to time and time again. Pasta all’Amatriciana fits that bill. Classically, this pasta is made with bucatini - a long round noodle with a hole in the middle…but any kind of pasta works well.

Amatriciana is one the Classic Four Roman pastas, with Cacio e pepe, Gricia, and Carbonara filling out the remainder of the list. Not only is the flavor punch of tangy tomato, savory bacon, silky cheese, and spicy pepper perfectly satisfying, but the ingredients for this pasta are usually hiding in your cupboard, making it an ideal go-to meal. OK let’s get cooking!

This recipe serves two people.

The first step is to make the roasted tomato.

You’ll need:

  • 4 heirloom tomatoes or 1 can marzano tomatoes

  • EVOO

  • salt

  • any herbs of your choice (basil, oregano, thyme)

  1. Preheat the oven to 400

  2. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, cut a 1x1 inch cross in the bottom of the tomatoes.

  3. Drop them into boiling water for about 30 seconds them remove them onto a pan to cool.

  4. Pop the skins of the tomatoes (this should be easy) and remove the stem with a pairing knife.

  5. If using canned, open the can of tomatoes.

  6. Put the tomatoes in an empty casserole pan.

  7. Roughly chop the tomatoes up with a fork or a knife, and season with some oil, salt, and herbs of your choice .

  8. Roast for about 30 minutes - stirring every 10 minutes - until the tomatoes are caramelized and reduced a bit.

  9. Cool them down, then puree them finely in a blender. Set aside. This can be done up to 4 days ahead.

Let’s prep your other ingredients.

You’ll need:

  • 1/4 pound hard Italian cheese (Pecorino is best)

  • 1/2 of a medium sized red or white onion

  • 4 pieces of bacon

  1. If the cheese came pre-grated, then awesome! If not, use a fine microplane grater on it.

  2. Thinly julienne the onion and place into a small bowl.

  3. Cut the bacon strips into planks about 1/4 inch wide. Place them in a small bowl.

Now that all your ingredients are prepped and ready, let’s make some pasta!

You’ll need:

  • cooking oil (canola or safflower)

  • the julienned onion

  • the sliced bacon

  • the tomato puree

  • a black pepper grinder

  • a pinch of red pepper flake (like you use on pizza)

  • 4-6 ounces of dried pasta

  • sea salt

  • a wooden spoon

  • bowls for portioning your pasta

  1. Get a large wide pot of water boiling. Salt it so it’s almost as salty as the sea. NOTE: don’t let it boil for too long, it can get too salty. If this happens, add more water, then taste again.

  2. Get a sauté pan. Add about 1 tbl of cooking oil, then put in the onions and bacon. Saute on medium heat until the onions and bacon have rendered and cooked. The onions should be translucent, and the bacon should no longer look raw.

  3. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato puree, a few cracks of pepper, and a bit of chili flake (depending on how much heat you like.

  4. Add 1/2 cup of your pasta water, mix well, and turn off the heat.

  5. Now put the pasta in the water and cook until 95% of the way done.

  6. Drain the pasta, or pull it out with a basket strainer, and pour it directly into your sauté pan.

  7. Turn the heat to high, and stir often until all the water is boiling around the noodles. It should look a bit soupy.

  8. Turn off the heat, and sprinkle in the cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.

  9. Turn the heat back on, and stir the pasta quickly with a wooden spoon. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds while cooking until the cheese melts into the sauce and it starts thickening up a bit. When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, taste it for salt and spice.

  10. If its too thick, you can add a few splashes of pasta water or water from the tap.

  11. portion the pasta into your dinner bowls and top with a few more cracks of pepper and a glug of olive oil.

  12. NOTE: the classic version doesn’t have any, but feel free to add in any seasonal vegetables you like to this pasta. It’ll be great.

OK that’s it y’all - the Baker’s Table recipe for Pasta all’Amatriciana. Send us an email back and let us know how it goes!

And if you want a break from the kitchen, make a reservation for dinner and let us do the cooking for you!

-Chef Dave

Baker's Table