Let’s Get Cheeky in Lazio!

Today we are going to visit the region of Lazio which is in central Italy with Rome being the largest city as well as the Capital of Italy. I will however be concentrating on the city of Amatrice. Amatrice is in the northern part of Lazio in the province of Rieti. The town was devastated by a powerful earthquake on August 24th, 2016 which destroyed 75% of the city killing nearly 300 people. The devastation was so vast the mayor, Sergio Pirozzi made a statement that “the town is no more”. The strength and the resilience of the Italian people prevailed, although the town continues the process of rebuilding it has survived.

The city of Amatrice is famous not only for the devastating earthquake it survived, but more so for a pasta sauce enjoyed by the people in the area, which is named after the city and its inhabitants, sugo all’amatriciana. The sauce in traditionally served with a long pasta such as bucatini or spaghetti. According to tradition, many of the cooks in service of the Popes came from Amatrice bringing the cuisine of the region with them.

The sauce is made from just a few simple ingredients. As with all Italian cuisine the quality of the ingredients is very important.

The most important in my opinion, is Guanciale, a cured meat product prepared from the jowls or cheeks of a pig. It is rubbed with salt, black or red pepper, thyme, fennel and sometimes garlic. It is the aged for three weeks or until it loses 30% of its original weight. The flavor is more pronounced than other pork products such as pancetta, and the texture is more delicate. The fat melts away when cooked depositing a distinctive depth of flavor to the dishes and sauces it is used in. Guanciale may be thinly sliced and eaten without being cooked but is most often used as an ingredient in pasta dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara and sugo all’amatriciana, the dish we will be focusing on today.

Pecorino is a hard sheep’s milk cheese. The name derives from the Italian word for sheep, Pecora. The cheese has six main varieties all of which carry the designation PDO or Protected Designation of Origin. Most of the cheese is produced on the island of Sardinia but production is also permitted in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany. The style of the cheese depends on how long it has been aged. The more mature cheese is referred to as stagionato (seasoned or aged) is harder with a crumbly texture and a buttery nutty flavor. Two other types are semi- stagionato and fresco, both of which are softer in texture producing a milder cream or milky flavor. We will be using the stagionato in our recipe today as an addition to the sauce and as a finishing ingredient finely grated to crown the plate.

Tomato passata is an uncooked tomato purée that has been strained of seeds and skins. It originated in Italy but is used throughout Europe. Some passatas are chunkier and some are smoother, depending on the brand. Some people claim that passata can also be cooked, but most agree that it is uncooked. It is very difficult to find in American markets but can be found in specialty stores or purchased online. I make mine by passing peeled Roma tomatoes through a food mill. I prefer mine to very smooth with no chunks or seeds.

There are differences between Amatrice and Roman recipes. Both sauces are similar, they both use the same ingredients, except for the addition of onion in the Roman recipe. However, the major difference between the two recipes is the pasta. The Roman recipe is almost always served with bucatini (thick spaghetti with a hole through the center). Amatrice’s recipe is served with spaghetti. Both kinds of pasta work well. I will be using bucatini for my version of the dish.

Mistakes to you won’t want to make when creating Pasta all’ Amatriciana.

Do not use Pancetta. Guanciale and Pancetta are not the same things. Guanciale has two parts of fat and one of meat and has a sweet taste, perfect to balance the flavor of the Pecorino Romano.

According to the original recipe, the right ratio between pasta and guanciale is 25%. protein for 500 grams of pasta, you will need about 125 grams of guanciale.

If you use Pancetta, I recommend using the unsmoked one.

You will get a flavor packed plate of pasta, but it will not be an authentic Amatriciana.

Do not use Parmesan. Use only Pecorino Romano. Pecorino Romano has a salty and slightly spicy taste that gives the right contrast to the sweetness of the guanciale.

Do not use canned or bottled tomato sauce. You can use fresh ripe peeled tomatoes, or canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes. I prefer the canned San Marzanos made into a passato for my recipe.

Onions are optional. One finds onion in the roman recipe, not in the original one. I like to use onion or shallot in my recipe. Never add garlic to this sauce.

Do not use short pasta such as penne pasta. The original recipe involves the use of spaghetti, the use of bucatini is a customary around Rome. The pasta should always be a long pasta!

Use a high-quality pasta. You will not get the result you want with a low-quality pasta.

Directions

Cut guanciale into slices, remove the skin then cut into small strips.

Crush the whole peeled tomatoes with your hands and pass the through a food mill to create the passata.

Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium heat with a small amount of olive oil, fresh or preserved red chili pepper, or dried red chili flakes. You want just enough oil to start the guanciale. The guanciale will render its fat. Adding more oil will make the sauce greasy.

Add the guanciale and cook until browned and crisp, add the white wine and allow it to be completely absorbed into the guanciale and onion.

Chef’s note, before I add the wine, I remove some of the crisp guanciale and set it aside to use as a garnish when plating.

Add tomato passata, season with a salt and cook at low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Do not add too much salt. The pecorino cheese that you will be adding is salty. You can always adjust the seasoning at the end.

Cook the pasta in salted water until just before it becomes al dente. You will finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Do not over-cook the pasta! You want the pasta to have a bit of a bite at the finish. Reserve some of the pasta water.

When the sauce is cooked and slightly thickened, add the pasta to the sauce and then the grated pecorino cheese. If the sauce becomes too thick you can thin it by adding small amounts of the reserved pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.

Toss the pasta in the sauce until well coated and cooked perfectly. Serve with garnish of Pecorino cheese and some of the crisp guanciale that you had reserved earlier.

I hope you try this recipe. It is certainly a crowd pleaser, and I promise the flavors will impress your family or your dinner guests.

I have created a video demonstrating the preparation of the dish. I hope you find it helpful and enjoyable.

Thank you for watching and I will be in touch next week when we will continue to examine the regional cuisine of Lazio.

Until then, alla prossima!

Buon cibo e buon appetito a tutti!!

Chef John