Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Ingredients

• 400g bucatini
• 150g guanciale, in one piece
• 400g tinned whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 small dried red chilli
• 60ml dry white wine
• 80g Pecorino Romano, grated
• 1 tbsp coarse salt, for the pasta water
• Black pepper, to taste

Before you cook

• Cut the rind from the guanciale and slice the meat into short batons about 1cm thick
• Tip the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them to a rough pulp with your hands
• Crumble the dried chilli, discarding most of the seeds if you want less heat
• Grate the Pecorino Romano finely

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the coarse salt.
2. Put the guanciale into a cold, wide pan and set it over medium-low heat.
3. Render the guanciale for about 8 minutes, until the fat is translucent and the edges are crisp and bronzed.
4. Lift roughly half the guanciale out with a slotted spoon and set it aside for the finish.
5. Pour the white wine into the pan and let it hiss and reduce for a minute until the sharp smell has gone.
6. Scatter in the crumbled chilli and stir it through the hot fat for 10 seconds.
7. Add the crushed tomatoes and a good grind of black pepper.
8. Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until it darkens to a deep brick red and thickens.
9. Drop the bucatini into the boiling water and stir to stop the strands sticking.
10. Cook the bucatini until just short of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the packet time.
11. Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
12. Tip the bucatini into the sauce and toss over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed.
13. Turn off the heat and stir in half the pecorino so it melts into the sauce rather than seizing.
14. Serve into warm bowls topped with the reserved crisp guanciale and the rest of the cheese.