Amatriciana

UPDATE:
This is another recipe that I make differently just about every time. Last night, I crisped the pancetta more and caramelized the onions, and I used a regular-sized can of tomato sauce and one cut-up fresh tomato. Delicious. I think the lesson is that you kind of can't fail with this dish, no matter how you make it.


3/4 lb pasta
2.5 thickish slices of pancetta, diced
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
1/2-3/4 white onion
1 large tomato, diced
1 can tomato sauce
Parmesan and/or Romano cheese for serving


Pour a little olive oil (a couple tbsp) in a pan, turn the heat to high, and add the pancetta. Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes. Cook the pancetta until it starts to get a little crispy, turning down the heat to prevent burning as necessary.


Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and cook over medium-high until they have caramelized (very soft, translucent, and starting to get almost a little brown, or golden). Add the tomato and cook over medium until they start to soften and break down.


Pour in the can of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and partially cover. Start your water and cook your pasta, adding the pancetta back to the sauce when you start to cook the pasta. Combine pasta and sauce and serve with grated cheese!

This is one of my all-time favorite pasta sauces: remember how my mom always orders carbonara in Rome? For me (in Rome, or if I'm lucky, when my dad makes it), it's always amatriciana.

I've made this a few times before, but I tried a few things differently. For one, I couldn't find good pancetta, so I used thick-cut prosciutto (probably a huge no-no...so much for that!). For two, I used a slower recipe based on the Simplest Tomato Sauce - and probably won't ever make it differently again (aside from going back to the pancetta when possible). Top it with plenty of Romano cheese, and you're set.

So:
1 large can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 white onion: half of it chopped, the other half just halved again (try yellow onion for a sweeter flavor)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 lb pancetta or thick-cut prosciutto, sliced/diced
1 lb fettucine, in this case, but bucatini, if you can find it
Red pepper flakes and ground black pepper
Grated Romano or parmesan cheese for serving
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt

In a medium pot or dutch oven, drizzle a little olive oil and turn to medium. Add the prosciutto or pancetta and sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes and just a little black pepper. Heat until it becomes aromatic, then remove the meat and set aside.

Next, add the tomatoes, butter, and onion to the same pan you cooked the prosciutto in. Turn the heat up to bring it to a boil. Crush the tomatoes against the sides of the pot and stir until boiling and the butter is melted. Turn heat to low.

Let cook about 1/2 an hour or longer - until the onions have softened. Bring salted water to a boil for the pasta, and when you add the pasta, remove the two onion quarters and add the prosciutto. Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes, and some salt if you want it.

Allow to cook until the pasta is ready. Serve with plenty of grated Romano cheese.