The illustrative panel located at the entrance, of what remains, after the earthquake in 2016, which completely razed the village of Amatrice to the ground, gives an idea of the population’s great desire for rebirth, and ensures that the centuries-old traditions that have made this place known throughout the world, are the driving force behind the economic and social recovery of the village.
The desire to start living again starts from popular tradition and good food, especially those dishes that have made the history of Italian cuisine.
Amatriciana is the dish of the shepherds of the Laga Mountains and is thousands of years old. It was born ‘in bianco’ with sheep’s cheese and pork cheek, skilfully combined with a mixture of water and flour rolled on a copper or iron wire (so much so that it resembles a modern Bucatino); it is only at the beginning of the 1700s that it meets the tomato, becoming red with the addition of chilli pepper. At the beginning of the 1900s, with the advent of industrial pasta factories, handmade pasta with a hole was replaced by spaghetti, mainly as a matter of practicality.
The great success of the Amatricians in the restaurant business was then the driving force behind the planetary success of the Amatriciana pasta that conquered the world. In 2008, the traditional Sagra was celebrated in a Poste Italiane stamp in the philatelic theme ‘Made in Italy’.
Ingredients for 4 people
500 g of spaghetti
125 g of bacon from Amatrice
100 g of grated pecorino cheese from Amatrice
6 or 7 San Marzano tomatoes or 400 g peeled tomatoes
a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
a dash of dry white wine
a piece of chilli pepper
salt
Preparation
Put the oil, the chilli pepper and the chopped guanciale in a frying pan, preferably an iron one (the proportion of one quarter, with respect to the pasta, is traditional and sacred to the experts and, either you put the guanciale, the part of the pork jaw, or it is not spaghetti alla matriciana; only with it will have an unsurpassable delicacy and sweetness) . Brown over a high heat and add the wine. Remove the pieces of guanciale from the pan, drain them well and keep them warm if possible, thus avoiding the risk of them becoming too dry and salty. Add the tomatoes cut into fillets and cleaned of their seeds (it is better to blanch them first, so that the skin can be removed more easily) and then cut them up. Add salt to taste, stir and give the sauce a few minutes of heat. remove the chilli pepper, add the pieces of guanciale and give the sauce another stir. Meanwhile, boil the pasta al dente, in plenty of salted water. drain well and place it in a bowl adding the grated pecorino cheese. wait a few seconds and then pour in the sauce. Stir and, if desired, add more pecorino cheese.