A symbol of the town of Amatrice (RI), pasta all’Amatriciana represents the perfect combination of sheep and pork. The ingredients are: guanciale, pecorino cheese, and tomatoes. To make the sauce according to tradition, you would need an iron pan, but a common non-stick pan will also work just fine.
Cut the guanciale into strips, place it in the pan so that the fat melts, and fry it in its own fat until it sizzles and the lard part of the guanciale becomes transparent. Add the peeled tomatoes to the pan and cook for about 15 minutes over low heat, so that the flavors of the meat and tomatoes blend perfectly. Taste it; you probably won’t need to add salt, considering that you’ll be sprinkling plenty of pecorino cheese on top at the end.
In the meantime, boil the water for the pasta and cook your favorite type (spaghetti is traditional!). Drain the pasta and toss it in the pan with the sauce, adding pepper and pecorino cheese to taste. Et voilà!
