RomanItalian
Tuna Amatriciana
by Cucina con Ruben · 548K subscribers on YouTube
A Roman-style amatriciana made with fresh tuna belly (ventresca) instead of guanciale. The tuna is rendered like pork cheek, giving a rich, savory sauce with tomatoes, pecorino, and a hint of chili. A surprising and delicious twist on a classic.
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
9 items- 200 gVentresca di TonnoFresh tuna belly, preferably red tuna; if frozen and thawed, it may darken but still works well.
- 200 gRigatoni
- 250 gPeeled TomatoesUse whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or with a tool.
- 100 mlWhite WineDry white wine; used to deglaze the pan after cooking the tuna.
- 1/2 pcsOnionHalf an onion, sliced.
- 1 pcsChili PepperOne whole dried chili pepper, adjust to taste.
- 100 gPecorinoGrated Pecorino Romano cheese.
- SaltTo taste, both for the pasta water and the sauce.
- PepperFreshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Method
- Cut the tuna ventresca (belly) into thin strips, similar to guanciale (about 1 cm wide).
- Place the strips in a cold pan – no oil needed – and turn on the heat to medium-high. Let the fat render and brown the tuna. Add half a sliced onion and one whole chili pepper. Cook until the tuna is crispy.
- Remove the tuna and chili from the pan, leaving the rendered fat. (If you forgot to deglaze with white wine earlier, do this step: heat 100 ml of white wine in a small pot until the alcohol evaporates, then add that to the pan.)
- Add 250 g of crushed peeled tomatoes (crush them with your hands or a pinzetta, leaving some chunks). Season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce while the pasta boils.
- Boil the rigatoni in salted water until very al dente (about 1 minute less than package time). Reserve some pasta water.
- Transfer the drained pasta directly into the pan with the tomato sauce. Add a generous handful of grated pecorino cheese and toss vigorously, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to create a creamy emulsion.
- Plate the pasta, then top with the reserved crispy tuna strips and an extra grating of pecorino. Serve immediately.
Cucina con Ruben
Home cookReviewer548K subscribers on YouTube242.9M total channel viewsRuben Bondi - cucina italiana, kosher e giudaico-romana. Diventato noto durante il lockdown cucinando dal balcone a Trastevere.
