Amatriciana sauce

Sugo all'amatriciana (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsuːɡo allamatriˈtʃaːna]), or alla matriciana (in Romanesco dialect),[1] also known as salsa all'amatriciana, is a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino romano cheese, tomato, and, in some variations, onion. Originating from the town of Amatrice (in the mountainous Province of Rieti of Lazio region), the amatriciana is one of the best known pasta sauces in present-day Roman and Italian cuisine. The Italian government has named it a traditional agro-alimentary product of Lazio and amatriciana tradizionale is registered as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed in the EU and the UK.[2]

Amatriciana
Bucatini all'amatriciana
CoursePrimo
Place of originItaly
Region or stateLazio
Serving temperatureHot over pasta
Main ingredientsTomatoes, guanciale, cheese (Pecorino Romano), olive oil

Development

Amatriciana originates from a recipe called pasta alla gricia. The origin of the word gricia is unclear. In papal Rome, the grici were sellers of common edible foods,[3] who got this name because many of them came from Valtellina, at that time a possession of the Swiss canton of Grigioni.[3] According to another hypothesis, the name originates from the hamlet of Grisciano, in the comune of Accumoli, near Amatrice. The sauce—nowadays named also amatriciana bianca[4]—was, and still is, prepared with guanciale (cured pork cheek) and grated pecorino romano.[5] At some point, a little olive oil was added to the recipe. In the 1960s, amatriciana sauce was still prepared in this way in Amatrice itself.[5]

The invention of the first tomato sauces (and the likely earliest date for the introduction of tomato in the gricia, creating Amatriciana) dates to the late 18th century. Tomatoes were introduced to Europe through the Columbian Exchange via Spain.[6] The first written record of pasta with tomato sauce can be found in the 1790 cookbook L'Apicio Moderno by Roman chef Francesco Leonardi.[7]

The amatriciana recipe became increasingly famous in Rome over the 19th and early 20th centuries, due to the centuries-old connection[8] between Rome and Amatrice.[9] The recipe was well received and rapidly went on to become a classic of 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.[10]

While tomato-less gricia is still prepared in central Italy, it is the tomato-enriched amatriciana that is better known throughout Italy and elsewhere. While in Amatrice the dish is prepared with spaghetti, the bucatini are now most commonly used in Rome. Other types of dry pasta (particularly rigatoni) are also used.

Variants

The recipe is known in several variants depending, among other things, on the availability of ingredients. In Amatrice, use of guanciale and tomato is typical. Onion is not favoured, although it is shown in the classical handbooks of Roman cuisine.[11][12] For frying, olive oil is most commonly used, but strutto (lard) is used as well.[11] For cheese either pecorino romano[11][12] or Amatrice's pecorino (from the Monti Sibillini or Monti della Laga areas) can be used.[13] The addition of black pepper or chili pepper is common.

See also

Notes
  1. Ravaro (2005), p. 395
  2. "Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2019/C 393/04)". European Union. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  3. Ravaro (2005), p. 329
  4. Gentilcore, David (2010). Pomodoro! A History of the Tomato in Italy. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-0231152068.
  5. Gosetti (1967), p. 686
  6. Bonelli, Giorgi, Lycopersicon Galeni = Pomidoro + Pomme d'ammour Digital Public Library of America
  7. Faccioli (1987), The culí di pomodoro recipe is found in the chapter devoted to Leonardi, at pg.756
  8. 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
  9. The town was originally part of the Abruzzo Ultra Department of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, but was annexed to the Abruzzi Region of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, and was finally incorporated into Lazio as part of the Province of Rieti when the latter was created in 1927.
  10. Ravaro (2005), p. 395
  11. Boni (1983), pg. 44.
  12. Carnacina (1975), pg. 82.
  13. "Gli Spaghetti all'amatriciana" (in Italian). Comune di Amatrice. Retrieved 5 April 2021.

Sources
  • 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.
  • Gosetti Della Salda, Anna (1967). Le ricette regionali italiane (in Italian). Milano: Solares.
  • Carnacina, Luigi; Buonassisi, Vincenzo (1975). Roma in Cucina (in Italian). Milano: Giunti Martello.
  • Faccioli, Emilio (1987). L'Arte della cucina in Italia (in Italian). Milano: Einaudi.
  • Ravaro, Fernando (2005). Dizionario romanesco (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton. ISBN 9788854117921.
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