"All'amatriciana" is a traditional Italian pasta sauce made from cured pork jowl or (as below) pancetta, tomatoes, onions and dried chiles. The name “all’Amatriciana” refers to the region from which it comes, around the town of Amatrice in central Italy.

Ingredients
Olive oil
5 or 6 garlic cloves, crushed
8 ounces thick-sliced pancetta, cut into small pieces
Crushed red pepper to taste
1 large onion, julienned
2 (15-ounce) cans whole tomatoes with basil
1 cup red wine
Salt, pepper and fresh basil to taste
1 pound spaghetti or bucatini, cooked al dente
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish

Directions
Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil. Set over high heat until hot. Add 2 of the garlic cloves, the pancetta and a little crushed red pepper to taste. Cook until the pancetta is crisp, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Remove the pancetta and garlic from the pan. Drain on paper towels.

Drain most of the oil from the pan, leaving just a little. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring back to medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook until translucent. Remove from the skillet. Add the remaining garlic. Cook until brown.

Add the tomatoes and wine. Raise the heat to high. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they soften. Return the onion and pancetta to the pan. Add salt, pepper and basil to taste.

Serve over the cooked pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Guitarist, singer, radio DJ and music journalist, Marc Stone has been performing professionally for more than 15 years. He can be heard playing red-hot Delta Blues solo concerts on his steel guitar, leading the smoking four-piece Marc Stone Band on electric guitar and lap steel, or backing great Roots Music artists in New Orleans and around the world. He also hosts Soul Serenade every Tuesday from 2 - 4pm on WWOZ.