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This Pasta all’Amatriciana takes me right back to our trip to Italy. I can vividly remember sitting across from Sean in a small Roman restaurant, eating this pasta.

This is one of the things that I really love about food. Sure, at its most basic, food fuels us and can be quite delicious. But it can also function as a time machine, transporting you to treasured memories past.

After seeing photos pop up on my Facebook feed during the 1-year anniversary of our trip to Rome and Florence in mid-March (click the links to see pictures!), I got to thinking about how I hadn’t really drawn on any culinary inspiration from our trip and applied it to my own cooking. This must change.

Enter: Pasta all’Amatriciana. It sounds fancy (and can be a little tough to say), but is actually really simple to make. Sauté some guanciale or pancetta (I used pancetta) in olive oil, add some spices, then add crushed tomatoes and simmer for a bit. That’s basically it. All that’s left is to cook some pasta, toss it with the sauce, and top generously with cheese.

I have plans to make some other classic Italian pasta and sauce combinations, as well as an idea about basil and honey ice cream that’s based on some amazing gelato that I ate in Rome. Stay tuned!

This recipe comes from Bon Appétit.