When my mom and I lived in Naples, Italy we learned a LOT about how to make a good bowl of pasta. I don’t know how YOU do it, but this is how WE do it and it turns out perfetto every time!
This pasta is sweet, savory, gets crunch from the bacon topping, and has a good spicy kick. What more could you ask for? Traditionally, an amatriciana would be made with guanciale or pancetta but we have beef bacon on hand at all times so that’s what I use and it’s gooooood. Traditionally the meat would also be cooked INTO the sauce but I like the crunch factor of the crispy bacon sprinkled on top. Hopefully no one’s nonna would disapprove.
Recipe Video Here!
Recipe serves 2-4, depending on portions, in about 45 minutes. (This only served 2... so, there's that.)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb shrimp
- 10-12 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt & pepper
- 1/2 pound penne
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease
- 1/2 tablespoon EVOO
- 2 tablespoons grated parmigiano reggiano
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F, bake bacon on baking sheet until crispy, reserve bacon grease
2. Score and boil tomatoes for 1-2 minutes until skin starts to peel, put in ice water bath immediately and then remove skins
3. Dice onion and garlic; sauté onion in 1 tablespoon bacon grease and EVOO until soft, add garlic and pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds
4. Add whole tomatoes and crush with potato masher, add a teaspoon of salt and honey
5. Reduce tomato sauce for about 30 minutes until reduced by half and it looks thick
6. Pour sauce into chinois or food mill and process the skin, fiber, and seeds out; if you prefer, use an immersion blender or regular blender
7. Add the silky tomato sauce back to pan, taste for seasoning, simmer on low, covered
8. Start boiling penne to al dente and just before it’s done add shrimp to the tomato sauce
9. As soon as you flip the shrimp after one minute, add the pasta straight to the sauce; you want to add just enough pasta so that it’s coated but not swimming in sauce
10. Top with chopped crispy bacon and parmigiana and devour standing in the kitchen, probably
I hope you enjoy my recipe! Follow me on social media @LizaHomesteads for more recipes and tag me or DM me pics/video if you try any of them! I want to know how they worked out for you!
Buon appetito! 🤌
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