Amatriciana — guanciale, tomato, Pecorino Romano — is the Roman pasta preparation that demonstrates the transformation of fat through rendering: guanciale (cured pork cheek) rendered in a pan produces a fat that is simultaneously the sauce's cooking medium and its primary flavour element. The fat carries the guanciale's cured-pork compounds throughout the tomato sauce; the rendered-crispy guanciale pieces provide the textural contrast.
- **Guanciale:** Cured pork cheek — not pancetta (cured belly), not bacon. The fat-to-lean ratio of guanciale is higher; the fat composition is different (more monounsaturated fat from the cheek); the curing produces different flavour compounds. [VERIFY] Hazan's position on guanciale vs pancetta - **The rendering:** Cut into lardons or strips, rendered in a pan over medium heat until the fat has run out and the meat pieces are golden and slightly crispy — not fully cooked through, not burnt - **The fat:** After rendering, some cooks drain a portion of the excess fat. Most of it remains — it is the sauce - **White wine deglaze:** A splash of white wine added after rendering, deglazing the fond - **The tomato:** Added to the rendered fat — San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed. Cooked 15–20 minutes - **No onion:** Traditional Amatriciana has no onion — this is a regular point of debate that Hazan addresses. [VERIFY] Her position - **Rigatoni or bucatini:** The specific shapes for Amatriciana. Rigatoni's ridges trap the sauce; bucatini's hollow captures the fat Decisive moment: The guanciale rendering. The fat must render fully before the wine is added — golden pieces surrounded by clear liquid fat in the pan. Underdone guanciale is white and soft; correctly rendered guanciale is golden and slightly crispy at the edges while remaining slightly yielding at the centre.
Hazan