I first fell in love with this dish in Roma, eating it straight out of the pan at "Taverna Trilussa" in Trastevere. A simple tomato-based pasta but the enormous flavour comes from the guanciale ( dried pork cheek) hard to find here in Australia so substitute with pancetta. When I get the chance I love to cook it for friends in Rome. it is a very simple pasta sauce but everyone loves it.
Traditionally it is served with bucantini, a long pasta with a hole in the middle so I say stick to the way they do it in Roma!
Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a pan and fry off the pancetta in it's own fat until crispy. Take out of the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add a little oil to the pan along with the onion and chilli flakes. Allow the onion to soften then add the tomatoes and pancetta.
Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes, season with S&P. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan and combine with the sauce. Add a good amount of pecorino to the pasta and serve.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a pan and fry off the pancetta in it's own fat until crispy. Take out of the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add a little oil to the pan along with the onion and chilli flakes. Allow the onion to soften then add the tomatoes and pancetta.
Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes, season with S&P. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan and combine with the sauce. Add a good amount of pecorino to the pasta and serve.
