A Roman classic made with just a handful of high-quality ingredients. Bucatini pasta is tossed in a rich tomato sauce simmered with crispy guanciale, a touch of peperoncino, and finished with fresh basil and Pecorino Romano cheese. Simple, bold, and packed with authentic Italian flavor—perfect for an easy one-dish dinner the whole family will love.
Today I’m sharing with you a true Italian classic. The most loved. The world-famous pasta all’Amatriciana.
Just like it was originally made in the Italian town of Amatrice, this dish is all about bold simplicity—pasta coated in a fresh, slightly spicy tomato sauce, mingled with crispy guanciale, and finished with the sharp, salty kick of Pecorino Romano cheese.
Diving into the heart of Rome with every bite ❤️🇮🇹 this recipe proves that Italian cooking doesn’t need long ingredient lists—just a few high-quality ingredients crafted into something extraordinary.
I was lucky enough to find the best of the best: Pecorino Romano DOP, one of the last still produced in the Roman countryside, and authentic guanciale (cured pork cheek), the soul of Amatriciana. Guanciale is similar to pancetta or bacon, but richer in flavor, and it’s what gives this pasta its unmistakable taste.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This dish is not only a Roman classic, it’s also the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again. It makes for a perfect weeknight dinner idea—quick to prepare yet special enough to feel like a treat. With just one pot of pasta and one pan of sauce, it comes together easily, making it a true one-dish dinner. And best of all, it’s a recipe that everyone at the table will love, from kids who enjoy the rich tomato sauce to adults who appreciate the depth of flavor from the guanciale and Pecorino Romano.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The pasta:
Traditionally, Amatriciana is made with spaghetti, but in Rome you’ll often find it with bucatini. Bucatini is a long, hollow pasta that looks like thick spaghetti with a tiny hole running through the center. That little hole lets the sauce cling inside as well as outside, creating extra bursts of flavor with every bite. If you can’t find bucatini, spaghetti or rigatoni are both excellent alternatives.
The guanciale:
The soul of this dish is guanciale, cured pork cheek. It has a higher fat content than pancetta or bacon, which means that when it’s sautéed, it renders out beautifully rich, savory fat that becomes the base of the sauce. Its flavor is both delicate and robust—deeply porky but not smoky like bacon. If guanciale is hard to find, you can substitute with pancetta, ideally thick cut so you can slice it into strips or cubes.
The tomatoes:
Since this recipe relies on very few ingredients, you’ll want to use the best quality canned tomatoes you can find. I recommend whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand or with a spoon, for their natural sweetness and low acidity. A good tomato makes all the difference here, giving the sauce that fresh, vibrant flavor that balances the richness of the guanciale.
The cheese:
Finally, no Amatriciana is complete without a generous grating of Pecorino Romano. Sharp, salty, and tangy, this sheep’s milk cheese is what ties all the flavors together. Look for Pecorino Romano DOP, made around Rome, for the most authentic experience. Parmesan can be used in a pinch, but Pecorino brings the punch that makes this dish truly Roman.
How to Make Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Start by heating a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet and sautéing the guanciale with finely chopped onion until golden and crisp, letting the fat slowly render out and flavor the base of your sauce. Add a small pinch of crushed peperoncino (Italian dried chili pepper) for a subtle heat—just enough to awaken the sauce without overwhelming it. Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine, scraping up all the flavorful bits, then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer gently while you cook the pasta.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the bucatini until perfectly al dente. Toss the drained pasta directly into the simmering sauce, letting the noodles soak up the flavors. Finish with a handful of fresh basil leaves and a generous dusting of Pecorino Romano. Toss, swirl, and serve immediately, while the sauce clings to every strand.
Cooking Tips
Don’t skip the Pecorino Romano—it’s what gives the dish its salty kick and authentic Roman character.
Reserve some pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed; the starch helps it cling better to the pasta.
Go easy on the peperoncino—you want a gentle heat, not an overpowering burn.
Unapologetically simple, yet pure flavor perfection. Buon appetito!
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