Amatriciana is one of Rome’s classic pasta dishes, and like others in its class—namely carbonara, cacio e pepe, and pasta alla gricia—it’s the source of much-heated debate. In 2015, when acclaimed Italian chef Carlo Cracco divulged that he uses garlic in his amatriciana on a talk show, it made national news and invited the wrath of the mayor of Amatrice, a town in northern Lazio where the dish purportedly originated. Depending on which source you trust, the only acceptable additions to the tomato-based pasta sauce are guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) and Pecorino Romano cheese. There are cooks in Italy and abroad who add black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, white wine, garlic, and even onions—to the approval of some and the dismay of others.
This amatriciana recipe takes some liberties, but we think they’re worthwhile: Since guanciale is not always easy to find stateside, pancetta and unsmoked bacon make fine substitutes. We’re partial to a long noodle here, like spaghetti or bucatini, but rigatoni works well if you want a shorter pasta. Using whole canned tomatoes, however? That’s nonnegotiable.
