Easy Spaghetti Amatriciana with Pancetta Crisps

Serves 4

Pan IconWHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We turn pasta all’amatriciana, a lusty Roman pasta dish of tomatoes, pork cheek, onion, and dried chile, into a weeknight meal by substituting pancetta for the pork cheek and using canned tomatoes instead of fresh. Crisping some pancetta for a garnish and adding several more chopped slices to the sauce ensures lots of meaty flavor. While the pancetta crisps in the oven, we prepare the sauce and pasta. See Quick Prep Tip that follows the recipe.

6

ounces thinly sliced pancetta

1

onion, chopped fine

3

garlic cloves, minced

½

teaspoon red pepper flakes

1

(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1

pound spaghetti

Salt and pepper

1/3

cup chopped fresh parsley

1

ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange half of pancetta in single layer on parchment. Top with second sheet of parchment and place second rimmed baking sheet on top. Transfer to oven and cook until pancetta is lightly browned and crisp, about 17 minutes.

2. Chop remaining pancetta and cook in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until almost crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. While sauce cooks, add spaghetti and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain spaghetti and return it to pot. Add sauce, parsley, and Pecorino and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Top with crisped pancetta and serve with extra Pecorino.