/ Our magazine / Spaghetti all'Amatriciana: history and original recipe.
/ Our magazine / Spaghetti all'Amatriciana: history and original recipe.
Spaghetti all'amatriciana is one of the most exquisite, popular, and tasty dishes in all of Italian culinary tradition. A typical dish from Amatrice, in the province of Rieti, with its simplicity of preparation has won over not only Italy but many other countries around the world, so much so that since March 6, 2020, spaghetti all’amatriciana has been officially recognized as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed by the European Union.
There is indeed a resolution, number 27/2015, which formalizes the recipe, thereby obtaining the European STG (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed) recognition to protect the original.
The regulations clearly specify that in the original recipe for spaghetti all'amatriciana, no garlic or onion is included, while the fatty and flavorful part of the recipe is the guanciale, which cannot be replaced with pancetta.
The story of spaghetti all’amatriciana is a little more intricate than it may seem. Pasta all’amatriciana (or matriciana, as it is said in dialect) is a classic dish from Roman taverns, simple and good. There are many variations of the dish, but the original recipe, unique and inimitable, is a single one.
Initially, the dish was "white," invented by ancient shepherds who only had dry pasta, guanciale, black pepper, and pecorino. These ingredients, without tomato, don't suggest anything to you? Well, yes, they are precisely the ingredients needed for pasta alla Gricia, another typical recipe from Lazio, originating from Grisciano.
In the eighteenth century, Neapolitans began cultivating tomatoes, distributing them throughout the territories of the Bourbon kingdom, including Amatrice, where Neapolitan tomato sauce was immediately appreciated and added to Gricia, thus creating what we now call pasta all’amatriciana.
Spaghetti all’amatriciana was recognized as a typical dish of Lazio in the mid-twentieth century. Before that, people mainly talked about gnocchi and macaroni pie. Today, however, along with carbonara, it is perhaps the most famous dish. What a paradox!
The amatriciana is a simple recipe that requires a few quality ingredients: tomato pulp, guanciale, and pecorino romano, along with spaghetti, of course. Therefore, for the successful execution of this recipe, it is essential that the ingredients are truly flavorful to ensure the success of the dish.
The traditional STG recipe specifies guanciale from Amatrice, high-quality San Marzano tomatoes, pecorino romano, salt, and pepper. As for pasta, only spaghetti should be used, as stipulated by the very city of Amatrice, which boasts the title of “City of Spaghetti all’amatriciana.” Therefore, no bucatini!
After making the shopping list, let’s see which ingredients to focus on. As mentioned earlier, it’s crucial that the ingredients are of the highest quality and artisanal, so that the pasta is genuinely tasty and originally Italian.
First, let’s take care of the guanciale which, as mentioned before, cannot be substituted with pancetta. In fact, they are two different cuts. The first is derived from the pig's cheek, while pancetta comes from the belly.
Guanciale is much tastier and a bit greasier compared to pancetta. When prepared for aging, it is already seasoned with salt and pepper. So, be careful not to be mistaken! Spaghetti all’amatriciana are NOT made with pancetta. That said, we recommend trying the Guanciale di Colonnata by Larderia Sanguinetti, particularly aromatic and flavorful due to its very fragrant fat, delicately melting in your mouth.
As for the cheese, there are no alternatives: you need Pecorino Romano DOP. It is an ancient cheese typical of the Lazio tradition produced exclusively with fresh sheep's milk. At Spaghetti & Mandolino, you can find authentic pecorino romano with an aging of eight months, perfect for grating on a beautiful plate of pasta, just like our matriciana. By the way: on the matriciana, the pecorino should be grated coarsely, not finely.
Don’t underestimate the tomato: it must be sweet, flavorful, and aromatic. It is the sauce that will enhance the goodness of our guanciale. The Piennolo Tomato Sauce from Vesuvio DOP is therefore the most suitable for this purpose. The Piennolo tomato, with its unmistakable fiery red color, is perfect for our ‘matriciana, just as tradition dictates.
But what’s missing? Ah, the pasta! Well, simply put: here we need Gragnano spaghetti! Of course, any dry spaghetti will work for our pasta dish, but the characteristic of that from Gragnano is the unmistakable porosity that ensures cooking holds and allows the spaghetti to soak up the flavors of the sauce. In short, poetry.
The recipe for the original amatriciana requires a few steps, but they must be carried out with care. The only note regarding utensils is the iron skillet, which is essential.
For the recipe, you will need 400g of Gragnano spaghetti, 200g of guanciale, 120g of Pecorino Romano DOP, and 500g of tomato, and if you like, dried red chili pepper.
As the first step, put the water for the pasta with a handful of coarse salt. Take a pan (if it is not non-stick, grease it with lard, which is allowed by the recipe, while oil is not) and add the guanciale cut into thin and long strips, not cubes, so that the lean part does not harden during cooking. Let it fry in its own fat over low heat until it starts to “sizzle” and the fatty part of the guanciale becomes transparent. Once golden and crispy, remove the guanciale with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving the fat in the pan. Pour in the tomato and let it cook for a quarter of an hour. Then add 20 grams of pecorino.
Taste and adjust for salt if necessary, but be careful, as the fat from the guanciale is already very flavorful. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti, drain them, and toss them in the pan over high heat for a few minutes. Incorporate the guanciale and pecorino and plate up.
And here is your delicious plate of matriciana, just as specified by the original recipe. To drink, pair with a medium-bodied and rather soft red wine, such as a good Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.
Pasta all’amatriciana, the original, is unique and inimitable, despite the fact that there are several variants. Some use onion for the soffritto, some suggest using extra virgin olive oil, and some even sauté the guanciale with garlic. Perhaps the most common variant is the use of bucatini instead of spaghetti.
However, as already mentioned, the recipe that has been recognized as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed by the European Union is a single one and does not include any of these things.
The ingredients are guanciale, spaghetti, tomato, pecorino romano, and red chili pepper to taste. Nothing more. So, beware of suggestions. If you want to prepare the perfect plate of spaghetti all’amatriciana, focus more on finding these simple ingredients, which must be of the highest quality.
On our site, you will find everything you need for your spaghetti all’amatriciana. Our ingredients, provided by carefully selected producers, are just what you need. Take a look!
Maria Nardone
S&M
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