Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried bucatini pasta

• 1 - 1½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly shredded

• 1 cup guanciale, chopped in to ½ in. cubes (Use pancetta if you can’t find guanciale.)

• 28 oz. can of whole San Marzano tomatoes

• ¾ cup water

• Salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• Vito and Joe’s Olive Oil

How to Prepare

1. Heat 2 tbsp. of Vito and Joe’s Olive Oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 cup cubed guanciale. As everything heats up, add around ¾ cup of water to the pan, which will help render more of the pork fat. Keep an eye on the pan as it cooks, until the pork is sufficiently browned and crispy.

2. While the guanciale cooks, heat a large pot of water on low heat for your pasta. For this recipe, use half the amount of water you’d normally use to cook your pasta, as this will concentrate the starch in the pasta water. Add around 1 tbsp. of salt to the water and bring to a boil.

3. While the water heats up, shred 1 - 1½ cups of Pecorino Romano if you haven’t already. Crush the canned tomatoes into smaller pieces either with your hands or a utensil and set aside.

4. Once the guanciale is browned and crispy, turn the heat down to low and add the 28 oz. of crushed tomatoes and sauce to deglaze the pan.

5. Add ½ tsp. of salt and 1 tbsp. of freshly cracked black pepper to the tomato and guanciale sauce. Let the sauce cook down on low heat for around 10 minutes.

6. Once your pasta water is boiling, add 1 lb. dried bucatini to the pot and cook until almost al dente, about 3 or 4 minutes less than the instructions say. Because there’s less water, stir frequently so the pasta doesn’t stick together or to the pot.

7. While the pasta cooks, stir in a few pinches of shredded Pecorino Romano into the sauce. Once the pasta is almost al dente, transfer the pasta to the sauce, reserving the pasta sauce. Stir in around ¾ cup of pasta water.

8. Slowly sprinkle the rest of the Pecorino Romano cheese into the pasta, stirring as you add. Once everything is well combined, transfer to a serving dish.

9. Top with more shredded Pecorino Romano, and enjoy!