Rigatoni Amatriciana

We may have a new favorite pasta dish in my house! I have already made this dish a couple of times. We didn’t even miss the garlic. 😉 It is an incredible version of the classic- a perfect weeknight dish.

The recipe was adapted from a Food and Wine “staff favorite” recipe, inspired by sommelier Arjav Ezekiel, co-owner of Birdie’s in Austin, contributed by Anna Theoktisto. We ate it with our favorite garlic bread and green salad, of course.

Yield: Serves 4 to 5

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium or large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 (4 oz) package chopped pancetta
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded (about 2/3 cup), plus more for serving
• 3/4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded (about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving
• 2 T unsalted butter
• finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.)
2. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in pancetta; cook, stirring often, until pancetta begins to render, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in crushed red pepper.
5. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, crush tomatoes; add tomatoes and their juices to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until flavors meld and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
6. Stir in salt. Remove from heat.
7. While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add rigatoni, and cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
8. Add rigatoni, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano, and butter to sauce in skillet.
9. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes.
10. Remove from heat, and garnish with parsley. Serve with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano cheeses, as desired.

Hugh Acheson’s Bucatini Amatriciana

I have a couple of fast weeknight pasta dishes to share. Classics. Both are served with bucatini, a house favorite. 🙂

This amatriciana sauce has rich and meaty flavor from the pancetta which balances nicely with the spiciness from crushed red pepper flakes. The flavors really come together as the sauce simmers. Simple and delicious.

This recipe was adapted from a “staff-favorite” Food and Wine recipe, contributed by Hugh Acheson. I omitted the marjoram.

• 5 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes in juice, preferably San Marzano, coarsely pureed
• coarse salt
• 1 pound bucatini
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the pancetta over moderate heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. (I used an enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Add the onion, 
marjoram and crushed red pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the carrot and tomatoes, season with salt and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the bucatini until al dente. Drain and transfer back to the pot.
5. Stir 
the butter into the tomato sauce and 
add to the bucatini. Toss to coat, season with salt and serve.

Two Years Ago:

• Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna Bake

Three Years Ago:

• Quick Crusty Mustard Chicken

Four Years Ago:

• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
• Avocado-Lime Pasta

Five Years Ago:

• Roasted Butternut Squash & Bacon Pasta