Bucatini Speciale
What makes Bucatini Speciale so special is this amazing sauce, a rich arrabbiata made with sausage and smoky pancetta. While “arrabbiata” means “angry” in Italian, this pasta dish will make you very happy!
This sauce gets its spice from the red pepper flakes that are simmered in a flavorful sauce that begins with crisped up pancetta bits, browned sausage and San Marzano whole tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes by hand to get the most authentic sweetness you can and let this sauce simmer to get the most depth possible.
We use bucatini as it’s a bit thicker than spaghetti and better for the sauce to hold onto. You could certainly use other pastas if you like, but bucatini is our first choice for this awesome sauce!
Begin by crisping up the pancetta bits in a heavy pot and set them aside. To the same pot, add the sausage and cook it until it’s no longer pink. Set the sausage aside.
In the same pot, add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the tomato paste and sauté another few minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and spices and then add the sausage and pancetta back into the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Your kitchen is going to smell so good!
Add a little broth to thin the sauce and a little butter if you want more richness.
Cook the bucatini, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the sauce (you’ll only need about half of the sauce for 8 ounces of pasta…freeze the rest for another extraordinary meal) and heat gently while combining everything.
Top the pasta with some pecorino cheese and enjoy immediately!
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Bucatini Speciale
Makes: 8 servings of sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes (I like San Marzano tomatoes), crushed by hand
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1–2 cups chicken broth or water to thin the sauce
- 2–4 tablespoons butter to tame the heat (if you want)
Serving:
- 8 ounces bucatini pasta
- 1/2 cup pecorino cheese for topping
Instructions
In a large heavy pot like a Dutch oven, cook the pancetta over medium high heat until very, very browned. You want them to be well-done; browned, almost crispy, and concentrated with flavor. Remove pancetta and set aside; drain oil out of the pan.
In the same pot, brown the Italian sausage until cooked through and crumbled. Remove sausage and set aside, saving a little bit of the oil in the pan.
In the same pot, add the onion and garlic. Add a bit of olive oil if needed. Sauté until soft and fragrant. Add tomato paste and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add sausage and pancetta back in to the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the broth until desired consistency is reached. Add butter if you want.
Cook bucatini according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Pour sauce over cooked bucatini and keep over heat for a few minutes to help the sauce and noodles come together.
Top bucatini with pecorino cheese.
Chef’s Note:
This amount of sauce is good for an entire package of bucatini (8 servings). However, I find that we rarely cook a full package of bucatini. I usually use about half of the sauce for half a package of bucatini (about 4 servings). The rest of the sauce will freeze well or keep in the fridge for several days.
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