A great submission from Taverna Akumal.

This is a special recipe as the amatriciana sauce was born in the town of Amatrice, Italy. This is the town that was hit very hard by the recent earthquake.

Spaghetti All’Amatriciana (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oz thinly sliced guanciale pancetta, or good bacon
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce
• 1 pound Spaghetti
• Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Making the dish:

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 Tbsp.  salt.

Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch saute pan, combine the olive oil, guanciale, garlic, and red pepper flakes; set over low heat and cook until the guanciale has rendered much of its fat, about 10 minutes.
Drain all but 1/4 cup of the fat out of the pan. Add the tomato sauce, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for 6 to 7 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for about a minute less than the package directions, until still very firm; drain.

Add the pasta to the simmering sauce and toss for about 1 minute to coat. Divide the pasta among four heated bowls and serve immediately, topped with freshly grated pecorino.

Buon Appetito!

If you don’t feel like preparing this dish yourself, you know where you can go to get a little Italian in Akumal!