Gemelli all’amatriciana

Traditional Gemelli pasta in all’amatriciana sauce, made with fresh tomatoes, pancetta, and pecorino romano cheese. Simple yet flavorful.

This gemelli all’amatriciana dish is so easy to make and a great way to incorporate fresh garden ingredients, especially ripe cherry tomatoes, into your diet.

I first discovered this dish at one of my favorite North End Italian restaurants in Boston, Assagio. While this dish has since been retired from the menu, I’m recreating it here for you to enjoy the delightful Italian all’amatriciana dish that I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it too!

What is All’Amatriciana?

Amatriciana is a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on pancetta or bacon, pecorino romano cheese, tomatoes, and onions. Originating from the town of Amatrice, this is one of the best known pasta sauces in present day Italian cuisine.

What’s unique about this pasta recipe is that it does not use marina sauce. Instead, the sauciness comes from the natural juices bursting out of the cherry tomatoes once they’re cooked down and softened. The juices thicken up and coat the gemelli without overpowering, and lends to a very balanced plate.

Gemelli All’amatriciana Sauce Ingredients

I love this pasta recipe because you get the sweetness from the ripe cherry tomatoes, the savoriness from the crispy pancetta, the fieriness from the red pepper flakes, and the acidity of the balsamic vinegar. The pecorino cheese on top adds an extra umami to every bite!

• Cherry Tomatoes – ripe tomatoes ensure that the dish is bursting with the sweetness from the juices
• Pancetta or Bacon – what can be better than the crispiness of uncured rendered pork, am I right?
• Balsamic Vinegar – added acid balances and enhances the flavors of the tomatoes and bacon
• Ground sausage – I added more protein to this dish, but feel free to omit all together
• Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust the amount depending on how spicy you want
• Pecorino Romano Cheese – Perfect garnish to finish out the pasta
• Gemelli pasta – Traditionally, this dish is made with bucatini, but the gemelli pasta shape retains the pasta in the unique nooks and crannies, and is easier to find in the grocery stores! Feel free to replace with any pasta that you have on hand.

Gemelli all’amatriciana

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• Author: Cliff
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Traditional Gemelli pasta in all’amatriciana sauce, made with fresh tomatoes, pancetta, and pecorino romano cheese. Simple yet flavorful.

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Ingredients

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• 1/2 pound of gemelli
• 4 ounces of diced uncured pancetta
• 1 pound of ground sausage
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 pint of ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups of spinach
• Grated pecorino romano cheese

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Instructions

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pasta box until al dente (about 1 minutes less).  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and strain the pasta.  Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the pancetta until crispy, about 7 minutes.
3. Add the ground sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, onion, and red pepper and cook until the onions are translucent and softened.
5. Add the tomatoes and spinach  and simmer over medium heat until wilted and juices are bursting, about 10 minutes.
6. Add the pasta to the suacepan.  If the sauce looks dry, add a little bit of reserved pasta water at a time until the pasta is nicely coated.
7. Garnish the pasta with the pecorino cheese and enjoy each delightful bite!

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: gemelli all’amatriciana, gemelli, italian, cherry tomatoes. pasta all’amatriciana