Simple Italian Supper

This meal was inspired by an episode of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations.  I am totally enthralled with anything having to do with Italy and in this particular episode he visited Rome.  This meal combines two  classic Roman dishes featured on this episode, Cacio e Pepe and Bucatini all'Amatriciana. 

Since the dishes are classical Italian, who better to get the recipes from than Mario Batali?

A cautionary note for the Cacio e Pepe:   unless you like very peppery food, only use half the amount of pepper.  I stopped at half and it was still pretty hot

Guanciale is traditionally used in the Bucatini all'Amatriciana.  Guanciale is an unsmoked Italian bacon.  The butcher shop recommended salt pork as a substitute and I think it worked well.  Pancetta would be a good substitute also.   I also couldn't find any bucatini so I used ziti.
I added a link of Italian sausage to round out the meal.


Linguini with Cacio e Pepe 
Kosher Salt
1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound dried linguini
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus extra for serving
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano

Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons of Kosher salt.

Meanwhile, set another large pot over medium heat, add the pepper, and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the oil and butter and stir occasionally until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.

Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the oil and butter mixture, then add the pasta and stir and toss over medium heat until the pasta is well coated. Stir in the cheeses (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce) and serve immediately with additional grated Parmigiano on the side.


Bucatini all'Amatriciana

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces thinly-sliced guanciale
1 red onion, cut lengthwise in half and then into ¼-inch-thick half-moons
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 ½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
2 cups basic tomato sauce
1 pound bucatini
Freshly grated pecorino romano
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt.

Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, combine the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes; set over low heat and cook until the onion is softened and the guaniciale has rendered much of its fat, about 12 minutes.

Drain all but ¼ cup of the fat out of the pan. Add the tomato sauce, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for 6 to 7 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, cook the bucatini in the boiling water for about a minute less than the package directions, until still very firm; drain.

Add the pasta to the simmering sauce and toss for about 1 minute to coat. Divide the pasta among four heated bowls and serve immediately, topped with freshly grated pecorino.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Makes 4 Cups
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 spanish onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
½ medium carrot, finely shredded
Two 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
Salt

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.