Spaghetti all’Amatriciana is a traditional specialty from Amatrice made with guanciale, tomato, and Pecorino Romano. The guanciale is slowly cooked with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and deglazed with white wine before being combined with the tomato sauce that defines this classic dish from Lazio.
Remove the rind from the guanciale and, if necessary, brush away any excess seasoning from the surface. Cut it first into slices about 0.2 inch (0.5 cm) thick, then into strips.
Add 5 g of extra virgin olive oil to a large frying pan, making sure it is wide enough to hold the spaghetti later, then add the guanciale.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, so that the fat renders gradually.
Continue cooking until the foam released by the guanciale has subsided and the strips have reached a golden-yellow color.
Pour 30 ml (2 tbsp) dry white wine into the frying pan and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely.
Once the guanciale is golden, remove it from the frying pan and set it aside, leaving the rendered fat and cooking juices in the pan.
Remove the stem and seeds from the fresh chili pepper.
Add the canned peeled tomatoes to the same frying pan, crush them roughly, and add the chili pepper.
Bring the sauce to a boil and cook over relatively high heat for about 10–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have reduced to a creamy consistency.
Taste and add salt only if necessary.
Return most of the golden guanciale to the frying pan and cook for another 5–10 minutes, reserving a few strips for serving.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly, keeping in mind the natural saltiness of the guanciale and Pecorino Romano.
Add the spaghetti and cook until very al dente.
Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce if needed.
Remove the chili pepper from the sauce if you left it whole, then transfer the spaghetti directly to the frying pan.
Finish cooking for about 1–2 minutes, tossing or stirring frequently so that the pasta becomes thoroughly coated with the sauce.
If the sauce becomes too dry, add a small amount of pasta cooking water at a time, using only as much as necessary.
Turn off the heat and allow the temperature to drop slightly for a few seconds.
Add the grated Pecorino Romano PDO a little at a time and toss until it is evenly distributed throughout the pasta.
If necessary, add a small amount of pasta cooking water to keep the sauce well combined.
Divide the spaghetti among the plates immediately.
Finish each serving with the reserved guanciale and, if desired, a little more grated Pecorino Romano.
Serve Spaghetti all’Amatriciana as soon as they are ready, while the sauce still coats the pasta well and the guanciale retains its texture.
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Extra virgin olive oil is one of the ingredients included in the official Amatriciana Tradizionale TSG specification. This recipe uses only a small amount, while most of the fat in the sauce comes from the guanciale as it cooks.
Guanciale is one of the defining ingredients of Amatriciana Tradizionale and should not be replaced with pancetta if you want to remain faithful to the recognized preparation. The official specification specifically calls for Amatrice-style guanciale aged for at least 30 days.
White wine is included among the ingredients specified for Amatriciana Tradizionale TSG. It is added while cooking the guanciale and allowed to evaporate before the tomato is introduced.
The official specification allows fresh or dried chili pepper and/or black pepper. This recipe uses fresh chili pepper, added with the tomato. You can therefore substitute dried chili pepper while keeping the preparation consistent with the specification.
Spaghetti have a particularly strong connection with the tradition of Amatrice. Documentation referenced in the TSG specification also includes a recipe for Spaghetti all’Amatriciana published by the Pro Loco of Amatrice.
In Rome, Amatriciana has also become strongly associated with bucatini, but this recipe uses spaghetti to maintain the more direct connection with the Amatrice tradition.
Spaghetti all’Amatriciana are best served immediately, particularly for the texture of the guanciale and Pecorino. If you have leftovers, store them in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Once reheated, both the sauce and guanciale will inevitably have a different texture from the freshly prepared dish.
Spaghetti all’Amatriciana takes its name from Amatrice and has deep roots in the culinary traditions of the Monti della Laga area.
The official Amatriciana Tradizionale TSG specification traces the preparation back to an earlier pastoral food tradition based on ingredients that could be stored for long periods. During seasonal livestock migrations, shepherds from the area carried foods suitable for travel, including guanciale.
This older tomato-free preparation is commonly associated with Pasta alla Gricia. If you would like to explore this earlier version, you can also find the Pasta alla Gricia recipe.
The introduction of tomato marked a crucial stage in the development of Amatriciana.
The TSG specification places this development in the early 19th century and connects it with the growing use of tomatoes in southern Italy from the late 18th century onward. At the time, Amatrice belonged to the Kingdom of Naples, a circumstance that helped bring tomato-based cooking into the area.
The introduction of tomato into the earlier guanciale-based preparation is therefore associated with the development of the sauce we now recognize as Amatriciana.
During the 19th century, Amatriciana also became increasingly established in Rome. The official specification connects its spread to the presence of people from Amatrice in the capital, many of whom worked in restaurants and the food trade.
The dish eventually became deeply embedded in Roman cuisine and is now widely regarded as one of its best-known pasta dishes. Its origins, however, remain closely connected to Amatrice and the surrounding area.
The connection between Amatriciana and spaghetti is also supported by historical sources referenced in the official specification.
A recipe published by the Pro Loco of Amatrice, cited in 1998 by Livio Jannattoni in La cucina romana e del Lazio, called for spaghetti, guanciale, extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine, tomato, chili pepper, Pecorino, and salt.
Bucatini later became strongly associated with Amatriciana, particularly in Roman cuisine. For this version, however, we use spaghetti to maintain the connection with the Amatrice tradition.
In 2020, “Amatriciana Tradizionale” was registered in the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG).
The official specification defines the ingredients and preparation method for the sauce. Required ingredients include Amatrice-style guanciale, extra virgin olive oil, tomato, salt, white wine, and chili pepper and/or black pepper.
When the sauce is served with pasta, the specification also recommends Amatrice-style Pecorino or grated Pecorino Romano PDO from Lazio.
Ingredients such as garlic, onion, and pancetta are excluded from the recognized traditional preparation.