Rob Giampietro, Elicoidali all'amatriciana
Ingredients
Directions
Put 3-4 quarts of cool water on to boil. In a large straight-sided skillet off the heat, add the guanciale and oil and turn to medium heat, stirring until some fat is rendered and the color is golden. Remove the lardons and drain, reserving the rendered fat in the pan. Fry the crushed garlic cloves until just golden and fragrant, then add a splash of wine to deglaze. When the wine has reduced and the alcohol smell is gone, add pepper flakes and twists of black pepper to infuse, simmering for a minute or so, then adding the crushed tomatoes. Continue simmering on low heat. Whenever the pot of water is boiling actively, add a generous palmful of kosher salt and the dry pasta. Cook to a minute short of package instructions, so that a small ring of white is visible when the pasta is bitten. Using a spider or slotted spoon, move the cooked pasta directly into the waiting skillet of sauce, adding a ladle or so of pasta water and stirring vigorously to combine and thicken the sauce. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to finish, then shut off the heat, add parsley, dust with a few handfuls of grated pecorino, and adjust with additional pasta water until the sauce is the desired consistency. Garnish with the drained lardons and invert the skillet into a warm waiting bowl, garnishing with a bit more pecorino to finish. Serve with cold Rosato and a slice of foccacia.