Paccheri alla Napoletana

Method

1. Finely chop onion, carrot, and celery to make a soffritto.
2. Cut the fatty part of guanciale and chop it together with the soffritto.
3. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a saucepan and sauté the soffritto over medium-low heat for at least 5 minutes, until soft and almost melted.
4. Add the tomato and a few basil leaves. Cook over low heat for at least 15 minutes, letting the sauce reduce. Season with salt towards the end.
5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the paccheri pasta.
6. Drain the paccheri al dente, slightly early to prevent them from getting mushy.
7. In a pan, place some of the sauce, add the pasta, and toss well. If the sauce is already loose, do not add pasta water.
8. Serve with a generous grating of Parmesan.