Bucatini all'Amatriciana

There is no garlic in Amatriciana. There is no onion. I will say this once, clearly, so there is no confusion. The sauce contains guanciale, tomato, pecorino, chili, and black pepper. That is all. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.

Americans add garlic to everything. They add onion because they cannot imagine a sauce without it. They use bacon because guanciale is difficult to find. They use Parmesan because pecorino seems too sharp. By the time they finish making substitutions, they have created something else entirely. Something that is not Amatriciana.

The guanciale is the soul of this dish. It is cured pork jowl, fattier and more flavorful than pancetta, impossible to replace with bacon. The fat renders into the sauce, turning the tomatoes into something silky and rich. The meat crisps at the edges but stays slightly chewy at the center. If you cannot find guanciale, make a different pasta. Do not pretend.