Bucatini all' Amatriciana (Spicy Italian Pasta)

This bucatini all' amatriciana recipe is a spicy Italian dish of pasta served with a fiery amatriciana sauce of tomatoes, red pepper and guanciale. It's a spicy pasta lover's dream.

It's time for some spicy pasta, my friends! Care for a bowl?

Italy isn't known for it's spicy cuisine, though you can find a number of spicy foods in Italian cooking. Bucatini all Amatriciana is one such dish.

Bucatini all Amatriciana is an Italian dish of pasta tossed in a spicy tomato sauce with guanciale and red pepper flakes. It's a spicy pasta lover's dream recipe.

The dish is very similar to Italian Pasta Arrabbiata, which is usually vegetarian, though with guanciale.

The origins of amatriciana are controversial, with some sources attributing the dish to Amatrice, Italy, and others claiming it a Roman dish. Others argue over amatriciana ingredients, such as whether or not to include onions, amounts of olive oil, the addition of cheese, and the importance of guanciale as a component.

My version includes guanciale along with onions and garlic, and I add in cheese at the end for serving. I also use some spicy Calabrian chilies in my dish, as I love the additional spice and heat, though you can skip them if you'd like.

Let's talk about how to make bucatini all'amatriciana, shall we?

Bucatini all Amatriciana Ingredients

• FOR THE AMATRICIANA SAUCE
• Olive Oil. 
• Guanciale. Guanciale is cured pork cheek. Pancetta is the best substitute. You can also sub in hot soppressata or bacon.
• Vegetables. Onion, Garlic and optional Calabrian chili peppers. I love the peppers for additional flavor and heat. You can use other hot peppers to your personal taste.
• Tomatoes. I love canned, whole peeled tomatoes that I can crush with my hands.
• Seasonings. Crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.
• FOR SERVING
• Bucatini Noodles. You can use other noodles for pasta amatriciana.
• Garnish. Extra crushed red pepper, fresh chopped parsley, grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

How to Make Bucatini all Amatriciana - the Recipe Method

Guanciale, Onion and Peppers. Heat the olive oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the guanciale, onion and peppers. Cook them down 5 minutes to soften.

Garlic. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the fragrance blooms.

Crush the Tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes and add the tomatoes them to the pan. 

Seasonings. Stir in the red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer the Amatriciana Sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer the spicy tomato sauce for 15 minutes to develop the flavor, stirring occasionally. You can simmer longer if you'd like. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and spicy chili flakes.

Get the Pasta Cooking. While the tomato sauce is simmering, prepare your noodles. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil at medium high heat. Boil until the pasta is al dente, 8-10 minutes. Follow the directions of the packaging.

Serving. Serve with prepared bucatini noodles. Add the pasta to sauce. Garnish with extra crushed red pepper, fresh chopped parsley, and grated pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese.

Boom! Done! Your bucatini all' amatriciana is ready to serve. Time for spicy pasta! The secret is in this amazing amatriciana sauce. Nice and fiery.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Noodles. Bucatini is more commonly used, but spaghetti or angel hair pasta are excellent alternatives.
• Spice Factor. You can easily dial back on the spice and heat factor by skipping or reducing the chili flakes. Add extra to really spice it up, and use the Calabrian chilies, Calabrian chili paste, or other hot peppers.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my bucatini all' amatriciana recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Spicy Penne Arrabbiata
• Arrabbiata Sauce
• Shrimp Fra Diavolo
• Fra Diavolo Sauce
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Pasta with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• Creamy Taco Pasta
• Creamy Tortellini Pasta with Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• Pasta Puttanesca with Shrimp
• Rasta Pasta with Shrimp
• See all of my Pasta Recipes

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

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Bucatini all Amatriciana Recipe

This bucatini all' amatriciana recipe is a spicy Italian dish of pasta served with a fiery amatriciana sauce of tomatoes, red pepper and guanciale. It's a spicy pasta lover's dream.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Calabrian chilies, chili flakes, guanciale, pasta, spicy

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Calories: 640kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 4

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5 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces guanciale chopped (sub in hot soppressata, pancetta, or bacon)
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 Calabrian peppers chopped (for extra heat and spiciness)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon spicy red pepper flakes or more to taste
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 12 ounces bucatini noodles prepared to al dente
• For Serving: Extra crushed red pepper, fresh chopped parsley, grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the guanciale, onion and peppers. Cook them down 5 minutes to soften.
• Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the fragrance blooms.
• Crush the tomatoes and add them to the pan.
• Stir in the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to develop the flavor. You can simmer longer if you'd like. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and spicy chili flakes.
• Serve with prepared bucatini noodles. Garnish with extra crushed red pepper, fresh chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 640kcal   Carbohydrates: 77g   Protein: 17g   Fat: 30g   Saturated Fat: 9g   Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g   Monounsaturated Fat: 5g   Cholesterol: 30mg   Sodium: 544mg   Potassium: 697mg   Fiber: 6g   Sugar: 9g   Vitamin A: 595IU   Vitamin C: 54mg   Calcium: 96mg   Iron: 3mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.