Lisa @Take_Me_To_The_Kitchen
Pasta! The easy, fast and delicious meal anyone can make with a few simple ingredients.
This sauce can be made in the time it takes the water to boil and pasta to cook. It's totally after work friendly!
Here's all you need;
1 lb. Bucatini Pasta - this is the traditional pasta for this sauce, but you can use whatever shape or style pasta you like.
Romano Cheese - in this dish the sharp flavor of Romano is preferred but you can use Parmesan
4 oz. Pancetta - sliced thinly into strips
1 onion - cut in half, sliced thinly into half moons
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, use at least 1/2 tsp but less if you don't like heat
1/4 cup Wine - red or white
1tsp Kosher Salt, or 1/2 tsp table salt
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes will give a flavor like no other.
If you cannot find or do not have San Marzano, use what you have, it supposed to be easy! Don't use stewed or chopped tomatoes.
There is no garlic in this sauce!
Directions
Crush the tomatoes either by hand, or with a blender, or a hand held immersion blender.
Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta, remember to salt the water.
Proceed with steps below, when the water boils go ahead and add the pasta and cook 2 minutes shy of the package directions.
Add the pancetta to a cold pan that will be large enough to hold the entire can of tomatoes.
Turn heat to medium and cook until fat renders from the pancetta. You do not want it hard and crisp but you do want it cooked.
Add onion to pancetta and cook until onion is soft.
Add red pepper and wine, cook until the wine has evaporated and all that's left in the pan is the fat from the pancetta.
Add the tomatoes and the salt.
Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, uncovered, 10 - 15 minutes is long enough.
By now the pasta is likely ready to drain, drain in colander but keep a cup/mug of the pasta water.
Return the drained pasta to the pot it was cooked in or the pot with the sauce. Combine pasta with the sauce and about 1/2 cup of pasta water, stir to combine, cover and let pasta absorb sauce, stirring occasionally. Remember the pasta still has at least 2 minutes to cook, this may take 5 minutes. It is ready when the pasta has absorbed most of the sauce.
Sprinkle with plenty of grated Romano Cheese.
Leftovers, if you have any, put a bit of the leftover pasta water into the leftovers so there is enough moisture for reheating.
See you next week!