The traditional Roman plate: rendered pork, tomato, chilli and pecorino tossed through wheat bucatini. Not adapted for coeliacs.
Prep
8 mins
Cook
25 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.60
Difficulty
easy
This is the wheat-pasta original, included for cooks who are not avoiding gluten. The sauce itself contains no gluten at all, so if you want a coeliac-safe version, swap the bucatini for certified gluten-free spaghetti and nothing else changes.
Put the pancetta and oil into a cold frying pan, set over a medium heat and cook for 8 minutes until the fat runs and the pieces crisp at the edges. Lift out half the pieces with a slotted spoon and keep them for the top.
Add the chilli flakes to the fat left in the pan, swirl for 20 seconds, then pour in the tomatoes. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until darkened and thick, crushing any lumps against the side of the pan.
Cook the bucatini in plenty of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a mugful of the water and drain.
Toss the pasta through the sauce with a splash of the cooking water and half the pecorino until it turns glossy.
Serve topped with the reserved crisp pancetta, the rest of the pecorino and plenty of black pepper.