Bucatini all’Amatriciana

This is one of the most popular pasta dishes in Italy. It originated in the town of Amatrice, northeast of Rome, in the hilly region where Latium borders on Umbria, the Abruzzi, and the Marches. Any cook can produce a version of Bucatini all’Amatriciana, though most demonstrate either ignorance or laziness about the fine points that make Amatriciana sauce a classic. Foremost among these points: The bacon must be very lean, and only the flesh, not the juice, of the tomatoes is used.