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Traditionally this dish is made with Guanciale, a cured jowl bacon from Italy. Pancetta is certainly close enough, and infinitely easier to find. There were 5 kids eating this dinner, so I went a little easy on the crushed red. If I were to make it again for adults, I’d use 2 tsp for sure. Finally, while any tomato-based pasta sauce will do, I made a batch of my Grandma Joanne’s famous sauce. (Browned pork, garlic, onion, olive oil, oregano, basil, italian seasonings, black pepper, salt, and canned tomatoes and/or sauce, browned pork. You said pork twice. I like pork!)
Evelyn seems to like it.
Adapted from Mario Batali (via Food and Wine)
- ¾ lbs pancetta, diced
- 1 red onion, thinly slices
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 – 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 16 oz tomato-based pasta sauce (make your own or buy a jar)
- ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
- 1 lb bucatini
- Grated pecorino romano
Boil a large pot of salted water. Boil noodles for about 10 minutes or as indicated on the package. Drain, reserving some of the water.
In a large skillet, cook the pancetta over medium heat until well browned. Transfer to a plate. Remove all but 2 Tb of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Return the pancetta to the pan, along with the sauce and crushed red pepper. Cook for several minutes. Add the pasta, parsley, and up to a cup of the pasta water. Toss and serve on plates or in a large bowl. Pass the cheese at the table.
Julio's Delicatessen 