Rigatoni Amatriciana also known as Rigatoni all'Amatriciana is a classic Italian pasta dish that contains rigatoni pasta that is also tossed in a rich tomato sauce that is made with guanciale or pancetta, red pepper flakes and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Rigatoni all'Amatriciana originated in a town called Amatrice, that is located near Rome
Rigatoni all'Amatriciana has also become a staple of Roman cuisine.
Rigatoni is a tube shaped pasta that has ridges, which make rigatoni perfect for holding the flavorful sauce.
Guanciale, is cured pork jowl and is the traditional choice of meat in Rigatoni all'Amatriciana, although you can also use pancetta which is cured pork belly as it's also more easily sourced than Guanciale.
Tomato sauce is a simple and yet robust sauce that contains crushed tomatoes, and often also with a touch of red pepper flakes for a subtle kick.
Pecorino Romano is a salty, sharp sheep milk cheese which adds depth and flavor to the rigatoni all'amatriciana dish.
And some versions of rigatoni all'amatriciana include onion, white wine or black pepper.
Amatriciana sauce is a sauce made with tomatoes, guanciale, "cured pork cheek", pecorino romano or pecorino di Amatrice cheese, black pepper, dry white wine, salt and extra virgin olive oil.