Pasta with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 oz pancetta (diced)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (chopped)
• sea salt (for seasoning and pasta water, to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)
• dried crushed red pepper flakes (a pinch)
• 28 oz tomato puree (one 28-ounce can)
• 1 lb linguine
• 0.5 cup Pecorino Romano (grated)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the diced pancetta to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sauté until the pancetta is golden brown, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the chopped onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Season the pancetta and onion with sea salt.

4. 4

   Add the coarsely chopped garlic and a pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Stir in the tomato puree.

6. 6

   Simmer the sauce uncovered over medium-low heat until it thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with sea salt to taste.

7. 7

   Meanwhile, boil the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

8. 8

   Drain the linguine, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

9. 9

   Toss the drained linguine with the sauce in the skillet. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid as needed until the pasta is moist, taking care not to dilute the sauce.

10. 10

    Toss the pasta with the grated Pecorino Romano.

11. 11

    Season the finished pasta with sea salt to taste and serve.

Notes

The structured recipe provides no additional storage or reheating instructions. Reserve only as much pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce while keeping it concentrated.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Italian
• pasta
• weeknight meal
• skillet
• high-fiber
• comfort food