I have been the repeated victim of many awful Italian-American dishes. With each cook, waiter or “chef” saying, “You are going to love this dish. It’s delicious.” Two forkfuls later I say a prayer that God will have mercy upon them and heal their taste buds. Of all the chapters in the cookbook, this was the one I was most excited about. I’m going to learn how to make pasta and sauces! I was tickled to see that the next nine weeks would not involve Marinara or Alfredo.
Making this recipe has three firsts for me: imported pasta, making homemade pasta sauce, a new pasta shape. For this dish I needed bucatini – thick, hollow spaghetti. I saved myself some anguish and went directly to the closest Italian market, Viviano’s Festa Italiano. There was two sizes available, so I went with the bigger must be better approach and purchased the last package of size 14.

Bucatini No. 14
The ingredient list was not at all intimidating. The title pretty much says it all. My biggest challenge was getting my old electric stove to retain a gentle simmer. The pasta cooked up bigger than I estimated, but I loved the shape and the way it wiggles. I had lots of fun trying to suck up air through a few naked strands. I tossed the pasta with the sauce then tossed in both Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano cheeses.
Mmmm.

Amatriciana – Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Chili Pepper
©2010 Irene D. Ericson