Pasta alla Amatriciana

A few years ago I decided that I would rather eat homemade pasta sauce then anything I could buy at the store. I've tried several different recipes, but have only found two so far that I really like. One, a meat sauce made with ground turkey, is a weekly staple for us...I'll write about that some other time. It is really good, but also a bit time consuming to make (anything that takes longer then an hour is time consuming to me). However, pasta alla amatriciana, which I made last night, only takes about 30 minutes to come together and is oh so tasty. Here's the recipe:

Pasta alla Amatriciana

From Cook's Illustrated

serves 4

2 Tbls olive oil

6 oz bacon (about 6 slices), chopped medium.  You can also use pancetta if it is readily available

1 onion, chopped fine

1/2 teas red pepper flakes, or to taste.

1 14oz can of diced tomatoes

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

Table salt

1 pound linguine

1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese. ~I used Parmesan

1. Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Add onions and saute over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice and salt to taste and simmer until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente; drain and return to pot. 

3. Add the bacon to the tomato sauce. Add sauce to the pasta and toss well to combine. Add cheese and toss again. Serve

This sauce came together really fast and was very easy to make. I love spicy pasta sauces so I put in a bit more red pepper flakes then was called for. Make sure you cook the tomatoes the full time or else they will taste tinny. You can use any long, thin pasta such as spaghetti or fettuccine. I always serve pasta with a salad and toasted artisan bread that has been lightly rubbed with a cut garlic glove and drizzled in olive oil.