Bucatini all'amatriciana
Non-vegetarian
Thick hollow pasta in a sauce of crisp guanciale, tomato, chilli and sharp pecorino. A pillar of Roman trattoria cooking, born in the town of Amatrice.
Bucatini all'amatriciana is an Italian pasta dish from Italy, ready in about 35 minutes and made with dried pasta, guanciale (cured pork cheek) and canned tomatoes. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 691
Method
Step 1
Fry the guanciale (opens in a new tab) slowly in a dry pan (or with a drop of oil) until the fat renders and it turns golden. Splash in the wine and let it evaporate.
- 8 min
- medium heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Lift out half the crisp guanciale (opens in a new tab) to keep it crunchy. Add the tomatoes and chilli and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.
- 15 min
- medium-low heat
How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels Step 3
Meanwhile cook the pasta (opens in a new tab) in well-salted boiling water until just al dente.
- 11 min
- high heat
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels Step 4
Drain, toss the pasta (opens in a new tab) in the sauce with the reserved guanciale (opens in a new tab) and most of the pecorino (opens in a new tab), loosening with a splash of pasta water. Serve with the rest of the cheese and pepper (opens in a new tab).
- 2 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Amatrice (Lazio), Italy · Well documentedMore food from Italy
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Pasta · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Boiled, Simmered
- Taste
- savoury, salty, spicy (chilli heat)
- Diet
- No nut ingredients · High-proteinWithout the optional extras: Alcohol-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Beef-free · High-protein - Good for
- Everyday
- Cook more with
- Dried pasta · Guanciale (cured pork cheek) · Canned tomatoes · Pecorino Romano · Red chilli flakes
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom pecorino romano
- May contain: Eggsfrom dried pasta
- Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta
- Contains: Glutenfrom dried pasta
- Contains, can be adapted: Sulphitesfrom dry white wine
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
691 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 254 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 12%
- Carbohydrate 46%
- Fat 42%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 691 kcal | 272 kcal |
| Protein | 21 g | 8.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 78.8 g | 31.1 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 73.7 g | 29 g |
| Sugars | 5.3 g | 2.1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 5.2 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 31.9 g | 12.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 12.4 g | 4.9 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 49 mg | 19 mg |
| Sodium | 733 mg | 289 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 1.8 g | 0.7 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 487 mg
- Calcium
- 216 mg
- Iron
- 4.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 71 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 38 µg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- —
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 401 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: olive oil, dry white wine.
- Guanciale (cured pork cheek): Raw pork jowl used as a stand-in; guanciale is the same cut salt-cured and dried, so it is somewhat saltier and more concentrated.
- Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Render the guanciale slowly from a cold pan so the fat melts out and the meat crisps without burning.
Common mistakes
- Adding onion or garlic: the Amatrice recipe uses neither, though onion is common in Rome.
Food safety
- Cured pork should be fried until the fat has rendered and the edges are golden.
Storage
- Best eaten at once.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Dried pasta400 g
- Guanciale (cured pork cheek), rind removed, cut into strips150 g
- Canned tomatoes400 g
- Pecorino Romano, finely grated60 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
You might also like
Pasta alla puttanesca
Italian · 30 min · 515 kcal
Spaghetti carbonara
Italian · 25 min · 750 kcal
Pasta alla gricia
Italian · 25 min · 696 kcal
Cacio e pepe
Italian · 20 min · 529 kcal · Vegetarian