Amatriciana

This classic spicy Italian tomato sauce stars bacon and fresh basil. See more

READY IN 35 mins

Amatriciana

Read Reviews (232)

"This is a classic Italian pasta dish. Use fresh basil when it's in season at other times use fresh flat-leaf parsley." — Christine L.

Directions

Cook diced bacon in a large saucepan over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the pan.
Add onions, and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes, undrained; simmer 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of 4 quarts boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
Stir basil into the sauce, and then toss with cooked pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 20 mins
READY IN 35 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 23, 2003

I recently had this dish at a local pasta restraunt and wanted to duplicate it. Based on my dinner and previous reviews, I made some changes and it turned out great! While sauting the onions and garlic, I added 1/2 chopped green bell pepper and after adding the diced tomatoes, I added apprx 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. I also sprinkled dry parsley over all when the meal was served. In the future, I may try adding some Italian sausage (but to do this, I may have to add an additional can of tomatoes to cover the pasta adequately). The bacon gives this dish a subtle smokey flavor and what's great is that you can adjust the heat by adding more red pepper flakes. Thanks Elizabeth...for great dining at home!

—DREGINEK

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Nov 20, 2005

This recipe is about right. The only things that should be noted is that, after tomatoes are added, they should cook for more than 10 minutes. You need about 20 minutes of simmering or the sauce won't be cooked. Remember also to add salt and pepper to taste before finishing.

—Alessandra

See full review »

344 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Apr 01, 2007

This recipe is really good, a perfect example of something being greater than the sum of its parts. I've since found out it has been around since Roman times, now I know why! I have made this dish dozens of times and have experimented with it a bit, the only change that I felt was an improvement was to double the red pepper flakes. I've also tried adding more bacon and it does not make it better in my opinion. The beauty of this recipe is it's simplicity and the delicate balance of flavors.

—Conari

See full review »

Aug 23, 2006

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I finally made a good sauce. As always I tweaked this a little per other reviewers. I used 7 slices of bacon (my lucky #), used red onion and let it get slightly brown, added 1 tsp. dried oregeno & 1/2 tsp. dried basil when adding garlic (which I doubled) and red pepper flakes. I used 1 can tomato sauce & I can diced tomatoes w/roasted garlic (Contadina is my fav brand). I let it cook for 20-30 minutes & stirred in fresh basil. FABULOUS. My boyfriend even said he liked it better than Francesco Rinaldi (which was our fav).

—Nikki

See full review »

Sep 30, 2003

This is a great pasta sauce! I sweat the onions and garlic in a little olive oil first, then add smoked bacon. When the bacon is cooked, I add 1/2 C dry white wine and let it reduce. Then I add the tomatoes and herbs/spices, and let it simmer to blend all the flavors together. Yum!

—AMFISCHER

See full review »

Oct 27, 2002

This was pretty good and very easy. would add a little more bacon.

—MOLSON7

See full review »

Aug 27, 2007

Delicioso! Definitely a five-star meal! I used pancetta (Italian bacon, found in your deli counter) in place of bacon and added hot Italian turkey sausage. I grew up on pasta and red sauce. We had it so much I grew sick of it. I was a little leary of all the tomatoes but I am trying to eat healthier so I gave it a go. My grandfather never made red sauce like this! Very good.

—lisa2roberto

See full review »

May 22, 2003

This recipe is excellent. It is a simple dish, yet wonderfully rich with flavor. It's not often that I follow a recipe to the letter -- I am always changing a little something here or there. But I followed this one almost to the T (I did use diced tomatoes instead of the called for) and it was perfect! I will definitely be making this again and again!

—Simchanna

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Linguine with White Clam Sauce II

California Primavera

Goulash Supreme

Easy Tomato Chicken Marsala

Herbed Chicken Pasta

Fra Diavolo Sauce With Pasta

My Chicken Milano

Vegan Lasagna I

Linguine with White Clam Sauce I

Greek Lamb and Orzo

Nutrition

Calories
352 kcal
18%

Carbohydrates
65.1 g
21%

Cholesterol
8 mg
3%

Fat
5 g
8%

Fiber
4.2 g
17%

Protein
14.4 g
29%

Sodium
468 mg
19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Amatriciana

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 352
Calories from Fat: 45

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g 8 %
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8 %
Cholesterol 8mg 3 %
Sodium 468mg 19 %
Potassium 482mg 13 %
Total Carbohydrates 65.1g 21 %
Dietary Fiber 4.2g 17 %
Protein 14.4g 29 %
Sugars 7.9g
Vitamin A 6 %
Vitamin C 20 %
Calcium 11 %
Iron 41 %
** Thiamin 11 %
Niacin 52 %
Vitamin B6 10 %
Magnesium 20 %
Folate 89 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.