Bucatini with Sweet Onion & Pancetta
While it’s traditionally made with guanciale, pancetta is more widely available and makes a perfect substitute in this bucatini all’amatriciana. This dish is named after its place of origin, Amatrice, Italy. The simple tomato sauce is full of flavor and pairs well with the bite of al dente bucatini. Serve it with your favorite dairy free cheese and a glass of Italian white wine.
Why I love this bucatini pasta recipe
When I was a kid, we used to go to this Italian restaurant that served your drinks in a mason jar with bucatini as a straw. My sister and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Years have gone by, and I still think bucatini is cool. I mean, come on, it has a hole in it, and it has the best bite when it’s cooked properly. It’s just so much fun to eat.
So when I saw it on the menu at a restaurant in Chicago -we were there last month visiting friends – I knew I just had to order it. The dish itself was fairly simple. The sauce was comprised of pancetta, sweet onion and tomato, which was seasoned to perfection.
I knew I wanted to replicated it at home, so I double checked the menu’s description and then did a quick search of the dish. It turns out that it was based on a regional Italian speciality – Amatriciana sauce. The sauce commonly features guanciale, which is a little bit hard to come by in our area. The restaurant had substituted pancetta, so I did, too.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this tomato artichoke pasta, and this shrimp fettuccine with white wine tomato sauce and these clams and linguine.
Searching for more dairy free pasta recipes? clams and linguine / creamy pasta carbonara / broccoli pasta / pasta fresca
Ingredients & substitutions
- Pancetta – The sauce commonly features guanciale, which is a little bit hard to come by – many people substitute pancetta. You could even use bacon if you can’t find pancetta.
- Bucatini – This is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta with a hollow center, perfect for serving with hearty and heavy sauces.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make bucatini with sweet onions and pancetta
Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente in a large pot of salted water. When you drain the pasta be sure to save some of the pasta water and set it aside.
Cook pancetta over medium-high heat. Partially rendering the fat – about 5 minutes. This will cook a lot like bacon in the pan.
Add onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until fat has completely rendered from pancetta – about 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta and transfer to a cutting board. Roughly chop into small pieces before returning to pan.
Add garlic and seasonings to the pan. After about a minute you can add wine and allow it to cook off. Stir occasionally and allow to cook for about 5 more minutes.
Toss in the tomatoes and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked.
Toss the sauce with drained pasta and top with your favorite dairy free cheese. Add a splash or two of the pasta water to make it more saucey if you want.
FAQs and tips for making bucatini all’amatriciana
Ingredients
- 1 16- ounce package bucatini pasta
- 8 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
- 2 cups chopped sweet onion
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 28- ounce can petite diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente in a large pot of salted water.
- In a large skillet, heat pancetta over medium-high heat. Partially rendering the fat – about 5 minutes.
- Add onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until fat has completely rendered from pancetta – about 10 minutes.
- Remove pancetta and transfer to a cutting board. Roughly chop before returning to pan.
- Add garlic and seasonings to pan, cooking for an additional minute.
- Add wine and allow it to cook off, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and simmer until pasta is cooked.
- Toss drained pasta with sauce and top with pecorino romano cheese when serving.
Can you use fresh herbs instead of the dried?
Yes. You would need to use about double the amount if you use fresh.