I started making amatriciana with smoked lardons rather than guanciale out of necessity. Now I do it out of preference! My version of this classic dish is smoky, peppery and rich - perfect for a romantic meal or mid-week warmer.
Step 1
Fry the lardons and olive oil over a low heat and set a timer for 7 minutes.
If your lardons are quite fatty, you may need just half a tablespoon.
The key here is to heat the meat slowly so that it doesn't shrink too much and cooks without burning.
Step 2
Allow your lardons to cook undisturbed for a few minutes while you slice your chilli, then give them a stir and add in a generous dash of black pepper (about 15 grinds from your pepper grinder).
A couple of minutes after this, add your sliced chilli.
Step 3
Once the 7 minutes are up, your meat should be nicely cooked but still soft, at which point you can add your wine.
Let the wine cook into the lardons for a minute or two, stirring, until there is barely any liquid in the pan, then transfer the lardons and chilli into a bowl.
Step 4
Add your tomato purée and stir that around the hot pan for 30 seconds, followed by your tin of plum tomatoes.
Step 5
Fill up your empty tomato can about a third of the way with water and pour that in, then cook your sauce on low for 15 minutes. Go in with a wooden spoon every so often to help break up the tomatoes.
You should see a gentle but widespread bubbling across the surface of your sauce.
Step 6
At the 15 minute mark, your sauce will be looking flatter and thicker, at which point you can add your lardons and chilli back in.
Step 7
Lastly, sprinkle in a small handful of parmigiano, grana padano or pecorino, serve with your favourite pasta, sprinkle a little more cheese on top, and enjoy!
- The best cheese to use in this dish is pecorino, but it's not neccesary if you ask me. Parmigiano - which is cheaper and easier to find - works just fine.
- If using guanciale, use little to no oil and fry the meat very very slowly. It might take three times as long to cure fatty guanciale than it will to cook some lean lardons.
- Spaghetti is the traditional pasta choice here. However, I like my amatriciana with something springy like the fusili bucati corti pictured above.
