"Top Chef" winner Buddha Lo makes his signature pasta amatriciana dish and rehashes the adorable story behind why his wife helped him coin it "marry me pasta"! Chef Buddha explains that this is the first dish his wife made him and he told her "If you're not married by the time you're 30, I'm going to marry you." Ten years later, he proposed to her in Central Park and they got married in New York.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz guanciale (cut into lardons)
- 2 medium red shallots (finely diced)
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (28 oz) can whole San Marzando tomatoes
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 oz finely chopped thyme
- 1 lb (16oz) rigatoni
- 1 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add guanciale to pot and cook for 5-7 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a small bowl and set aside, leaving any rendered fat behind in the pot.
- Add shallots, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to the pot, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste and continue stirring constantly. Add canned tomatoes and place a lid on the pot. Take the pot and place in a 380F oven for 45 min.
Instructions
- With a whisk crush the tomatoes into a sauce and add the crispy guanciale back into skilled and stir into the sauce until all the ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Boil rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Using a large, slotted spoon transfer the pasta directly into the skillet and toss with the sauce and mix.
- Serve with finely grated pecorino, red pepper flakes and a splash of olive oil.