Amatriciana Pizza Grandma Style Recipes

SPAGHETTI AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, and add the oil, guanciale and onions. Sprinkle with salt and caramelize the guanciale, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and Calabrian chile paste, then lower to medium-low heat. Season with a few pinches of salt to taste (keep in mind that the cheese added at the end will add salinity to the final dish). Cook, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching, for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• In a large pot over high heat, boil well-salted water (salty like the ocean). Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until slightly undercooked (the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce). Add 2 tablespoons pasta water to the sauce. Strain the pasta and add to the sauce. Cook over high heat until the sauce has coated the noodles, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add to a large bowl and mix in the Pecorino and butter. Divide among individual serving bowls. Garnish each with more grated Pecorino.

GRANDMA'S PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Stir to combine, then add 1 cup water. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a rough ball. Continue mixing at medium-low speed until the dough forms a smooth, silky ball, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a tight ball, set in the bottom of the mixer bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled in size, about an hour.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Cut the dough in half; you should have enough for two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets. You can make both pizzas now, or hold the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Lightly oil one or two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets. Add the dough and press down on it to spread it toward the edges. You won't be able to get it all the way to the edges, so spread it as much as you can without tearing. If the dough isn't stretching well, cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stretch again.
• For the sauce: Put the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic and some salt in a blender and puree until smooth.
• For the topping: Spread the sauce all the way to the corners of the dough. Top the sauce with the mozzarella and sprinkle with black pepper and chile flakes if using. Bake until the dough is crisp and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the basil and some Parmesan and serve.

PASTA AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Make sure to have a pot of boiling salted water for pasta going before starting this dish. You will not cook the pasta all the way as you will finish it in the pan with the sauce. Drop the pasta into the boiling water to start the cooking process. Meanwhile, in a saute pan heat some oil over high heat and add the pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is rendered (most of the fat melts away), and then turn the heat down to medium. Pancetta should look like crispy bacon. Add the onions and stir constantly making sure the onions do not burn. Once the onions are soft and cooked through, add the red sauce. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the cheese and pepper flakes, stirring to incorporate. Turn off the heat on the sauce and add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Turn the heat back on to low and toss the pasta constantly so that the sauce will stick to the pasta (the sauce should be thick and shouldn't create a pool on the plate). Transfer the pasta and sauce to a bowl and sprinkle more cheese on top to serve.