Sugo all'amatriciana (Italian pronunciation: [amatriˈtʃaːna]) or alla matriciana (in Romanesco) is a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino cheese, and tomato. Originating from the town of Amatrice (in the mountainous Province of Rieti of Lazio region), the Amatriciana is one of the most well-known pasta sauces in Roman and Italian cuisine. The sauce has been declared as Lazio's Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale.
 Sugo all'amatriciana during preparation | |
| Course | Primo |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Lazio |
| Serving temperature | Hot over pasta |
| Main ingredients | Tomatoes, bacon (guanciale), cheese (Pecorino Romano), olive oil |
| Variations | Onion, garlic, black pepper, chili |
Development
The origin of the Amatriciana was a recipe named gricia. Grici were what the Romans called the sellers of bread and comestibles. [1] They were so called in that a number of them emigrated from the Swiss canton of Grisons. [1] According to one hypothesis, the name originates from the village of Grisciano, in the comune of Accumoli, near Amatrice. The sauce was (and still is) prepared with guanciale (cured pork cheek) and grated pecorino. According to another hypothesis, ingredients reflected local products available to commonfolk who practised herding in that area. At some point, olive oil was added to the recipe.
The invention of the first tomato sauces (and the possible introduction of tomato in the gricia, creating the Amatriciana) dates back to the late 18th century. The first written record of pasta with tomato sauce can be found in the 1790 cookbook L'Apicio Moderno by Roman chef Francesco Leonardi.[2]
The Amatriciana recipe became increasingly famous in Rome over the 19th and early 20th centuries due to the pluricentennial[3]—between Rome and Amatrice.[4] The recipe was extremely well received and rapidly went on to be considered a "classic" of the Roman Cuisine, even though it originated elsewhere. The name of the dish in the Romanesco dialect eventually became matriciana due to the apheresis typical of this dialect.[5]
While tomato-less gricia is still prepared in central Italy, it is the tomato-enriched amatriciana that is more well-known throughout Italy and exported everywhere. While in Amatrice the dish is prepared with spaghetti, the use of bucatini has become extremely common in Rome, and is now prevalent. Other types of dry pasta (particularly rigatoni) are also used, whereas fresh pasta is generally avoided.
Variants
The recipe is known in several variants depending also on local availability of certain ingredients. While each seems to agree about the usage of guanciale and tomato, onion is not preferred in Amatrice, but is shown in the classical handbooks of Roman cuisine.[6][7] For frying, olive oil is most commonly used, but strutto (canned pork lard) is utilized as well.[6]
The addition of garlic sauted in olive oil before adding the guanciale is also accepted [citation needed], and for cheese either pecorino romano[6][7] or Amatrice's pecorino (from the Monti Sibillini or Monti della Laga areas) can be used. The addition of black pepper or chili pepper is common.[citation needed]
Notes
- ^ a b Ravaro (2005), p. 329
- ^ Faccioli (1987), The culí di pomodoro recipe is found in the chapter devoted to Leonardi, at pg.756
- ^ In Rione Ponte A lane called Vicolo dei Matriciani and a Locanda bearing the same name are documented as having existed since the 17th century. Blasi (1923), sub voce
- ^ the town originally part of the Abruzzo Ultra Department of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, joined the Abruzzi Region of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, being finally annexed to Lazio when the Province of Rieti was created in 1927.
- ^ Ravaro (2005), p. 395
- ^ a b c Boni (1983), pg. 44.
- ^ a b Carnacina (1975), pg. 82.
References
- Blasi, Benedetto (1923). Vie piazze e ville di Roma nel loro valore storico e topografico (in Italian). Roma: Libreria di scienze e lettere.
- Boni, Ada (1983) [1930]. La Cucina Romana (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton Editori.
- Carnacina, Luigi (1975). Roma in Cucina (in Italian). Milano: Giunti Martello.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthor=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Faccioli, Emilio (1987). L'Arte della cucina in Italia (in Italian). Milano: Einaudi.
- Ravaro, Fernando (2005). Dizionario romanesco (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton.