150 g (5.3 oz) guanciale (preferably from Amatrice)
75 g (2.6 oz) Pecorino Romano PDO, freshly grated
50 g (approx. 1/4 cup) dry white wine
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Fine salt, to taste
1 fresh red chili pepper
Instructions
To prepare the spaghetti all'amatriciana, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta; add salt once it reaches a rolling boil.
Prepare the sauce: take the guanciale, trim away the rind, and slice it into strips about 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick, then cut across into strips roughly 0.5 cm wide.
Brown the guanciale in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over low heat for 7–8 minutes. The fat should render and turn translucent while the meat becomes crisp. Stir frequently, taking care not to burn it.
Once the fat has rendered, pour in the white wine, raise the heat, and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely. Transfer the crispy guanciale to a plate and set it aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Finely grate the Pecorino Romano PDO.
In the same skillet with the rendered cooking fat, add the whole chili pepper (deseeded) along with the peeled tomatoes, crushed or torn by hand. Simmer the sauce over medium heat for about 10 minutes, and season with salt to taste.
Drop the spaghetti into the boiling salted water and cook until al dente.
Remove and discard the chili pepper from the sauce, return the crisped guanciale to the skillet, and stir to combine.
Drain the spaghetti and transfer it directly to the skillet with the sauce.
Toss the pasta vigorously over high heat to coat it thoroughly with the sauce (if the pasta is already perfectly al dente, remove it from the heat immediately; otherwise, add a splash of reserved pasta cooking water to finish cooking).
Finish with a generous dusting of the grated Pecorino Romano PDO. Serve your Spaghetti all'Amatriciana immediately.
