Amatriciana Sauce Recipe Follow Up

Yesterday, I introduced Pinta to the leftover amatriciana sauce from the evening before. I was getting her dinner together, and she was sitting on a chair in the kitchen. She was clamoring for pasta putanesca, and I wasn't in the mood to make it (I was busy stirring a pot of shrimp-fennel risotto). I told her that I had a sauce with bacon in it. She loves bacon, so she was instantly interested.  Because she doesn't like the look and feel of chopped onions, I pureed the sauce with an immersion blender. It was quite thick, so I added a bit of red wine to thin it out. Pinta loved it, but after she tasted the bit on the end of my finger she had a question for me, "Is that spicy, daddy?" Well, yes it was. I forgot to take out the chili pepper before blending it.

If I were to make this again for myself, I would leave the pepper in. If I were to make it for the kids, I'd take it out. And if I were to make it again for Santa Maria, I would drain the bacon fat before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. How would you make it? I'm curious to hear.

Comments

[annieknapp@comcast.net]

I had an amatriciana sauce I will never forget at a wonderful Sarasota, Florida restaurant called Michael's on East, years ago. The chef told me that he roasted fresh plum tomatoes in the oven for several hours before using them in the sauce, and said that was his "secret". It gave it a richness and dimension that was memorable.