Bucatini Alla Matriciana Recipe

Nov 22, 2011 3:01 pm

From Marc Vetri's cookbook: Rustic Italian Food

By Marc Vetri

This recipe will add to your repetoire of quick, but elegant, meals for family dinners or date-night occassions. Bucatini is a classic Italian comfort food that will keep everyone coming back for more.

Read our interview with Marc Vetri

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Bucatini alla Matriciana: A go-to dish for any occasion.

Reprinted with permission from Rustic Italian Food by Marc Vetri.

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound refrigerated extruded Bucatini or 14 ounces boxed dried thick spaghetti

1/2 cup olive oil

8 ounces Shortcut Guanciale, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 peeled whole plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano if canned

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups grated pecorino cheese

4 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until tender yet firm, 2 to 7 minutes, depending on how long it has been refrigerated (or 8 to 9 minutes for the boxed stuff). Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat 4 teaspoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the guanciale and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the tomatoes and pepper flakes and break up with tongs.
Add the wine and 2 cups pasta water and boil until the sauce reduces in volume and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
Add the drained bucatini to the pan along with 1 cup of the pecorino, the parsley, and the remaining olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper, tossing until the sauce is creamy. If the sauce gets too thick, add more pasta water.
Divide among warm pasta bowls and garnish with the remaining 1 cup pecorino.

Prep Ahead
Make the bucatini up to 5 days ahead of time and the guanciale up to a week ahead of time. Keep both refrigerated in airtight containers.

Level of Difficulty:

Easy

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cooking Time:

25 minutes

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