Salsa All'amatricina

There are times when all I want for dinner is pasta in a simple red sauce. Basic, comforting, warming food. This sauce completely fits. I found this several years ago in one of my favorite cookbooks and I was seduced by the simplicity of the ingredients. Ok, I was seduced by the pancetta. We don’t have a deli or butcher shop where I can find pancetta in any other form than packets of thinly sliced meat. Fellow residents of my lovely town, please let me know if I am misinformed on that! So instead of the nicely diced hunks for meat that would normally grace this sauce I make do with what is available and it works.

I typically have all the ingredients for this sauce on hand except for the pancetta. Pancetta hardly ever goes on sale, and it is a bit on the pricy side for the amount of meat you can get, but it is so very very worth it. This sauce takes about half an hour to prepare. Serve it over any type of pasta you have on hand. I’ve used everything from fettuccini to cavatappi with successful results. When I want to get a little wild I’ve been known to serve this topped with feta.

Enjoy!

2 T. olive oil

6 oz. pancetta or slab bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz. tomato puree
½ tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree, and cook uncovered over medium low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Everyday Italian – Giada De Laurentiis