Sunday is always pasta day. Always.

One of the quickest pasta dishes to make is pasta all Amatriciana. This pasta dish is named after Amatrice, a small town in central Italy that is located in an area known for its pork farming. One of the main ingredients in the sauce for this pasta is guanciale, which a cut of meat that comes from the pig’s cheek area or “guancia”. To note that guanciale can easily be substituted with pancetta which comes from the pork belly… and may be easier to find at the grocery store. Today I used pancetta. With a few basic steps and a few basic ingredients this pasta comes together and it never disappoints.

Begin by heating about 2Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4oz pancetta or thinly sliced guanciale. Allow to cook and brown a bit. When that pancetta starts heating up, the aroma is mouth watering!

At this point, you can add a dash of red pepper flakes if you like, for some added heat. Next add 1/2 of a chopped medium onion and 1 finely minced clove of garlic.

The smell of sautéing garlic speaks to my soul!

Stir the onion, garlic and pancetta (or guanciale) well to prevent any sticking. Also feel free to deglaze with a small splash of white wine. Give a good stir and when the onion is soft, add one 28oz can of crushed tomatoes.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste and allow to come to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat to medium low and partially cover the skillet and allow the sauce to cook about 15 to 20 minutes while you cook your 1lb of pasta according to package directions. L’Amatriciana is best served with a long pasta like spaghetti or bucatini. Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet with the sauce. Give a good stir to coat the pasta well.

Serve immediately with grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese.

Buon appetito!