Bucatini All'amatriciana

The bucatini all'amatriciana at Lupa is totally delicious, so when I got my new Kitchen Aid and pasta extruder attachment I immediately broke it out to make fresh bucatini. (I know, I'm a weirdo.) Feel free to just buy bucatini like a normal person, but definitely make the sauce. To save a little time, I also used marinara from Faicco's instead of making the basic tomato sauce the recipe calls for, so that makes it easier. The sauce is rich and tart and has a little kick. It really is wonderful. And if you can't find bucatini or perciatelli, spaghetti will work, too. (And if you can't find guanciale you can use pancetta, but guanciale is definitely better in this.)

I got the recipe from Babbo's recipe archive site. Yum!

Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 lb guanciale, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 red onions, cut in half in 1/2" slices
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups marinara sauce
1 big handful parsley, roughly chopped
1 1/2 lb bucatini
Pecorino Romano for grating

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with plenty of salt.

Put the guanciale in a single layer in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until most of the fat is rendered, flipping a few times. Remove them to a paper towel lined plate as you cook the rest. Pour out half of the fat, leaving enough to coat the garlic and onions.

Add the garlic, onions, and red pepper flakes to the pan, along with the guanciale. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic are light brown. Meanwhile, cook the bucatini.

Add the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked pasta and the parsley and toss, then divide into bowls and top with grated Pecorino.