Amatriciana

Method

1. Cut the guanciale into cubes of about 1 cm.
2. Place the guanciale in a cold pan and turn on medium-low heat. Slowly render the fat without stirring too much, until the guanciale is crispy on the outside and soft inside.
3. Drain the guanciale from the fat, keeping both fat and guanciale separate.
4. In the same pan, leave a thin layer of guanciale fat and add a broken chili pepper (to taste).
5. Add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them with a fork. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta (rigatoni or bucatini) in plenty of salted water. Drain al dente, reserving some pasta water.
7. Add half of the crispy guanciale to the sauce and stir.
8. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss for a minute, adding a splash of pasta water if needed.
9. Turn off the heat, add a generous handful of grated pecorino, and mix.
10. Let rest for 30 seconds, then plate by adding the remaining crispy guanciale as decoration.