Amatrice, Rieti province (Lazio, historically Abruzzo). The pastoral town of Amatrice gave the sauce its name — shepherds from Amatrice brought guanciale and Pecorino to Rome with the seasonal migrations, and the sauce entered the Roman cooking canon in the 18th century.
Sugo all'amatriciana is one of the five canonical Roman pasta sauces (alongside cacio e pepe, gricia, carbonara, and coda alla vaccinara), originating in Amatrice (now in Lazio, historically in Abruzzo) and brought to Rome by the mountain shepherds who migrated seasonally to the capital. It is built on guanciale (cured pork jowl) rendered until crisp, deglazed with dry white wine, combined with San Marzano tomato, and finished on bucatini (or rigatoni). The critical variables are the use of guanciale (not pancetta, not bacon), the white wine deglaze, and the restraint in tomato — it is not a tomato sauce with pork; it is a pork sauce with tomato.
Correct amatriciana is not primarily a tomato dish — it is primarily a guanciale dish accented by tomato. The rendered guanciale fat carries the sauce; the tomato provides acidity and colour; the Pecorino adds salt and sharpness; the chilli is barely there but necessary. On bucatini, where the thick pasta absorbs the sauce into its hollow interior, the combination is archetypal.
Guanciale cut into batons (5mm x 2cm), cooked in a wide pan without additional fat — the guanciale renders its own fat copiously. Cook over medium heat until the exterior is crisp and golden but the inside remains slightly yielding (not fully crisped through). Deglaze with a small glass of dry white wine — it reduces in 1-2 minutes. Add crushed San Marzano tomatoes (canned is correct). Simmer 15-20 minutes until the sauce is dense and the oil from the guanciale has risen and been re-incorporated. Season with salt (the guanciale is already salty) and chilli (peperoncino — dried). Toss with al dente bucatini or rigatoni, adding pasta water as needed. Finish with Pecorino Romano, grated.
The Pecorino Romano must be grated fresh — pre-grated Pecorino dries out and doesn't melt correctly. The pasta water is the emulsifier — keep it starchy and add liberally when tossing. The fat rendered from the guanciale is the sauce's binding element; do not drain it.
Using pancetta or bacon — guanciale's flavour and fat composition are categorically different. Adding onion — there is no onion in amatriciana (gricia has no onion; amatriciana has no onion). Using red wine — the authentic deglaze is white wine. Adding cream — strictly not Roman. Over-reducing the tomato — the sauce should have some body but not be paste-thick.
Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking; Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy