Natives of Amatrice, the town near Rome where this sauce comes from, are staunchly protective over this recipe. Indeed, they’ve been quick to condemn any creative digressions - the Town Council once declared the inclusion of garlic by respected Italian chef Carlo Cracco as a “lack of judgement” on his part. Traditionally, this sauce is made with smoked guanciale (pork cheek). At the risk of again dismaying the good people of Amatrice, though, we substitute pancetta, as this imparts a deeper, smokier flavour. These flavoursome morsels of pancetta are gently fried until crisp, then suspended in a vibrant tomato sauce. To amplify the amatriciana sauce’s signature meaty flavour, we add both chicken and pork stock, while rosemary, bay leaf and red wine add depth, ensuring a moreish taste of Amatrice.
In some deference to tradition, we do serve with bucatini pasta, which is the traditional pairing for the amatriciana sauce.The word “bucatini”comes from the Italian word “buco”, which translates to “hole”,a reference to its hollow shape. And while long, tangled strands of bucatini prove deft at capturing the amatriciana sauce, the pasta’s unique shape was actually born out of practicality. Ancient pastai (pasta makers) who encountered difficulty when cooking dried pasta with consistency sought to invent a novel solution to their problem. The pastai settled on a new method, which saw dough rolled around a thin rod (known as a ‘ferretto’), to produce a long strand of hollow pasta. The resulting “buco” in the centre of each bucatino helped to prevent inconsistencies in cooking, but also distinguished this shape from others, securing its popularity in Italian - and particularly Roman - cuisine.
Note: Please consume or freeze our pasta and sauces within 2 days of delivery.
METHOD
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Salt the water (around ½tbsp per litre).
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent sticking.
- Whilst the pasta cooks, put the sauce in a pan and add 1tbsp (15ml) of the boiling pasta cooking water. Take care to ensure you squeeze all the sauce from the pouch. Gently heat until steaming and then turn off the heat.
- Lift the pasta out of the water and transfer to the sauce. Toss gently to coat.
- Sprinkle over the Italian cheese. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
INGREDIENTS
Allergens in BOLD & CAPITALISED:
Durum WHEAT Semola, WHEAT Flour, EGG, Water, Rice Flour
Tomatoes, Smoked Pancetta (Pork Belly (Origin: Holland), Salt, Dextrose, Spices, Aromatic Plants, Natural Flavourings, Smoke Flavourings, Antioxidant: E301, Preservatives: E250, E252) (20%), Onion, Water, Carrots, Red Wine (SULPHITES), Salt, Garlic, Olive Oil, Sugar, Black Pepper
MILK, Salt, Rennet (Microbial Coagulant), EGG Lysozyme
ALLERGENS
In addition to the recipe-specific allergen information provided, Pasta Evangelists handles all 14 allergens prescribed in legislation. Whilst we have implemented and maintain safety practices and take all reasonable precautions to prevent cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that our products will not contain traces of these allergens.
NUTRITION
Calories per serving: 746kcal
Following nutritional information is per 100g:
- Energy 897kJ
- Calories 215kcal
- Fat 6.0g
- Of which saturates 2.2g
- Carbohydrates 31.0g
- Of which sugars 3.7g
- Protein 9.0g
- Salt 1.1g
RECIPE CARD
Find this week's recipe cards, complete with cooking methods, in our handy Recipes Archive .
