Amatriciana

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecorino romano cheese – finely grated, plus more (for serving)
• 14 ounces whole peeled tomatoes – crushed by hand with juices
• 5 ounces guanciale – cut into 0.25-inch batons
• 0.33 cup dry white wine
• 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 14 ounces spaghetti
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
2. Place the guanciale in a wide skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the edges are golden, 7–9 minutes.
3. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits; simmer until the wine reduces by about half, 1–2 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes and black pepper.
4. Add the tomatoes to the skillet, crushing them by hand as they go in. Simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, shiny, and the fat has emulsified, 10–12 minutes.
5. Salt the boiling water with the kosher salt. Cook the spaghetti until very al dente, 1–2 minutes shy of package time. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
6. Return the sauce to medium heat. Add the spaghetti and about 0.5 cup reserved pasta water. Toss and cook until the pasta is coated and glossy and the sauce clings, 1–2 minutes, adding more water as needed.
7. Remove from the heat. Add the Pecorino Romano and toss vigorously until creamy and well-emulsified. Serve immediately.