serves six
one 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt, or to taste, plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta pot
4 cups 1/3-inch-thick onion slices (about 3/4 pound)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 ounces bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
1 pound bucatini or perciatelli
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for passing
Recommended equipment
A heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 13- or 14-inch diameter
Drain the canned tomatoes; save all the juices. Cut each
tomato in quarters lengthwise; slice the quarters in strips, 1/2 inch
wide.
Start heating 6 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot, to cook the bucatini.
Put 1/2 cup water in the wide skillet, and set it over
medium-high heat. Dump in the sliced onions; spread them out and turn
them over in the pan as the water starts to boil. Cook the onions,
turning occasionally, for several minutes, until they’re softened and
the water is nearly evaporated.
Pour the olive oil over the onions, toss in the crushed
garlic cloves, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well to coat
all the onion slices with oil; cook for a couple of minutes or more,
until onions and garlic are sizzling.
Clear a space on one side of the skillet and scatter in
the cured pork (guanciale, pancetta, or bacon). Heat and stir in the hot
spot until they’re rendering fat and sizzling, then stir in with the
onions. Sprinkle the peperoncino in the pan, stir, and let everything
cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the onions and pork are caramelized and
golden—adjust the heat so nothing burns.
Now spill all the sliced tomatoes and their juices into
the skillet, and stir well. Rinse the tomato containers with a couple
cups of “slosh” water, and stir that in too; season with salt lightly.
Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently, and then lower the heat
to keep it simmering actively. Let the sauce cook and thicken for about
20 minutes, or until it has the consistency you like for pasta.
When the tomatoes have been added and the sauce is
simmering, you can start cooking the bucatini.
With the water at a rolling boil, slide the bucatini
into the pasta pot, letting the strands soften so they don’t break, and
fanning them out so they don’t stick together. Stir well, cover the pot
to bring the water back to the boil over high heat, then cook partially
covered.
Stir the bucatini occasionally, and check doneness
frequently. When the sauce has thickened, taste it and adjust
seasoning—keep in mind that the Pecorino Romano will add salt.
When the bucatini are cooked through but still al dente,
lift them from the cooking pot with tongs, drain for just a moment,
then drop them right onto the simmering sauce. Toss together
continuously, over moderate heat, for a couple of minutes, until the
pasta is perfectly cooked and evenly coated with sauce. If the dish is
dry, ladle in a bit of hot pasta water from the cooking pot. If the
sauce is soupy, toss over higher heat to concentrate.
Turn off the heat, and toss in the grated cheese.
Drizzle over it a final flourish of olive oil, and serve, either
directly from the skillet or in a warm serving bowl, passing additional
cheese at the table.
bacon recipe source: Lidia's Italy by Tanya Bastianich Manuali and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (Random House, 2010)
