30-Minute Spaghetti All'Amatriciana

Craving pasta but don't want to put in the time? These spaghetti all'Amatriciana only take 30 minutes to make and the result is fabulous. They taste great with wholemeal spaghetti, too.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Email *

Save This!

There are days when I can't be bothered to cook dinner, but I've reached a point in my life where the thought of ordering takeout fills me with dread.

So instead of gambling with food prepared by other people, which I know I'll find fault with no matter what, I get to the kitchen and whip up something delicious that 99% of the time includes pasta, like this recipe, for example.

Spaghetti all' amatriciana is something that everyone has a recipe for, and I was actually wondering if the world truly needs another one.

It's one of those sauces that packs a punch, so if you don't like chili, this is not the pasta for you (or you can go very easy on it, but the result will not be as spectacular).

What kind of pasta to use for Amatriciana sauce?

Many of the recipes you'll encounter call for bucatini, a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a small hole in the middle-a kind of spaghetti/macaroni hybrid.

They are amazing for amatriciana, indeed, but I live in the UK, where bucatini are not very common on supermarket shelves, so I only use them very rarely.

The good news is that you can use spaghetti successfully for all'amatriciana, and you would also get good results with other long-type pasta, such as linguine.

The sauce is not particularly suitable for short pasta, because it doesn't have big bites in it.

What ingredients do you need for spaghetti all'amatriciana?

You'll find all sorts of variations for spaghetti all'amatriciana ingredients, ranging from using a dash of Worcester sauce to adding honey.

In my opinion, all you need for spectacular, authentic all' amatriciana is the following:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Guanciale (this is tricky in some areas, including the UK, so you can substitute with pancetta)
• Onion, finely minced
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Garlic, minced
• Spaghetti or another form of long pasta
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly ground Himalayan salt
• Pecorino cheese
• Peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed
• Dry white wine (optional)

And that's it. The guanciale is very difficult to find in the UK, and possibly in many other parts of the world outside Italy, so I generally make it with pancetta.

How do you make pasta all'amatriciana?

Boil the pasta according to the instructions (make sure the water is salty enough, as this is very important for the final result. They say it should be as salty as the Mediterranean, so do your best there.) The pasta should be just al dente.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the pancetta, and saute it for 3-4 minutes, until crisp.

Add the black pepper and chilli flakes, and stir. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft (about 6 minutes).

If you use wine, now's the time to add it in.

Add your crushed tomatoes and cook on low heating until the sauce is thick (about 15 minutes). Mix the boiled pasta in, add the pecorino cheese, and serve immediately.

If you liked this spaghetti all'Amatriciana recipe, you might also like:

• Creamy Steak Pasta
• White Ragu Sauce
• Marry Me Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Tuna and Mushroom Pasta
• Easiest Ever Bolognese Pasta Bake

Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

30-Minute Spaghetti All'Amatriciana

This spaghetti all'Amatriciana dish only takes 30 minutes to make, and the result is fabulous. 

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin SaveSaved!

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 468kcal

Author: Alice | Skinny Spatula

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 120 g (4.5 oz) guanciale or pancetta
• ▢ 250 grams (8.8 oz) spaghetti , or other long-form pasta
• ▢ 1 can (14 oz. / 400g) peeled tomatoes, crushed
• ▢ 1 medium onion, finely minced
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 25 g (1 ounce) pecorino cheese
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 50 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine, optional

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• 1. Boil the pasta according to instructions, being careful not to go over the al-dente phase.
  250 grams spaghetti
• 2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the guanciale or pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp.
  2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

  120 g guanciale or pancetta
• 3. Add the black pepper and chilli flakes, stir a couple of times, and then add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes until soft. If you use wine, add it now and let it evaporate.
  1 medium onion

  2 garlic cloves

  ½ tsp chilli flakes

  ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

  50 ml dry white wine
• 4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes until the sauce is thick.
  1 can (14 oz. / 400g) peeled tomatoes
• 5. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss it until the pasta is coated. Season with salt, stir in the Pecorino cheese, and serve immediately.
  25 g pecorino cheese

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 1203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Nutrition is per serving and is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.

Love my recipes?Follow me on Pinterest!!