Bombolotti All Amatriciana Recipes

Steps:

• In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. To the skillet, add tomatoes, black pepper and red-pepper flakes, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and smashing tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, until tomatoes have broken down and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
• Add pasta, tomato sauce and ½ cup of pasta cooking water back to the large pasta pot and stir vigorously over medium-high heat until pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, about 1 minute. (Add more pasta water if sauce is dry.) Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt.
• Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with more cheese and black pepper.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook guanciale over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally, 5-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Add carrots, onion and butter to pan drippings; cook until vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add half the garlic, rosemary and sage sprigs; cook until fragrant, 2 minutes., Stir in wine; cook until reduced, 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer partially covered until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes., Remove and discard rosemary and sage sprigs; cool sauce slightly. In batches, add sauce to blender. Cover and process until desired consistency. Return sauce to pan. Stir in half of reserved guanciale, remaining garlic, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and red pepper flakes. Set aside; keep warm., In a large saucepan cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Add drained spaghetti to pan with sauce; toss to combine. Add enough reserved pasta water for sauce to reach desired consistency. Garnish with remaining guanciale. If desired, sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil leaves.

Steps:

• * Note 1: Bombolotti pasta is in the shape of a squat, ridged tube, essentially, half-rigatoni. But artisanal spaghetti or bucatini will do nicely as well. * Note 2: Guanciale, cured pork cheek, is available by mail from specialty sources such as Corti Bros., in Sacramento, (800) 509-3663, and BuonItalia in New York, (212) 633-9090 or www.buonitalia.com Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, 12 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the guanciale into strips about 2 inches long and one-fourth-inch thick. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the guanciale and cook until lightly brown, another minute (it will not cook like bacon). Add the onion and cook another minute. If necessary, spoon excess fat from the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Add salt to taste and the red pepper flakes. Discard the garlic. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and toss together. This recipe yields 4 servings. Each serving: 259 calories; 174 mg. sodium; 20 mg. cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 1.92 grams fiber.