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Take the guanciale. Slice it into strips, then dice the strips into small cubes.

Place the diced guanciale into a cold pan. Put the pan over medium heat and cook the guanciale until it becomes crispy and renders its fat.

Once crispy, remove the cooked guanciale from the pan, leaving the rendered fat behind. Set the crispy guanciale aside.

Open the 3 cans of peeled tomatoes and crush them by hand. Add the crushed peeled tomatoes to the pan with the reserved guanciale fat. Cook the tomato sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to the boiling water (approximately 1 tablespoon per 4 liters of water) and then add the rigatoni pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.

While the pasta and sauce are cooking, grate the pecorino cheese.

Add black pepper to the tomato sauce and stir to combine.

Before draining the pasta, ladle about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water from the cooking pasta into the tomato sauce. Stir well.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it directly from the pot to the pan with the tomato sauce using tongs or a pasta spoon.

Add the crispy cooked guanciale back into the pan with the pasta and sauce. Add most of the grated pecorino cheese to the pan, reserving some for garnish.

Vigorously toss the pasta, sauce, guanciale, and cheese together in the pan until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce has emulsified, coating the pasta beautifully. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Serve the Amatriciana immediately in bowls, topping with the reserved grated pecorino cheese and additional black pepper if desired.


Take the guanciale. Slice it into strips, then dice the strips into small cubes.

Place the diced guanciale into a cold pan. Put the pan over medium heat and cook the guanciale until it becomes crispy and renders its fat.

Once crispy, remove the cooked guanciale from the pan, leaving the rendered fat behind. Set the crispy guanciale aside.

Open the 3 cans of peeled tomatoes and crush them by hand. Add the crushed peeled tomatoes to the pan with the reserved guanciale fat. Cook the tomato sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to the boiling water (approximately 1 tablespoon per 4 liters of water) and then add the rigatoni pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.

While the pasta and sauce are cooking, grate the pecorino cheese.

Add black pepper to the tomato sauce and stir to combine.

Before draining the pasta, ladle about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water from the cooking pasta into the tomato sauce. Stir well.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it directly from the pot to the pan with the tomato sauce using tongs or a pasta spoon.

Add the crispy cooked guanciale back into the pan with the pasta and sauce. Add most of the grated pecorino cheese to the pan, reserving some for garnish.

Vigorously toss the pasta, sauce, guanciale, and cheese together in the pan until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce has emulsified, coating the pasta beautifully. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Serve the Amatriciana immediately in bowls, topping with the reserved grated pecorino cheese and additional black pepper if desired.
