Spaghetti all’amatriciana and the story of the beginning of a new life

If you love Italian cuisine you certainly know this. It’s a pillar and has a very old tradition but, like pretty every dish in Italy, you can ask 100 Italians for a recipe and you will always obtain different answer. There are of course the “purist” (no, you don’t have to use onions!!) and then there are all the others that cook it exactly the same  way someone teached them.

This recipe is my father’s one and, till  last December, it was just another great Italian pasta dish. But on the night of  December 12th it became really special for us …,  that was our last dinner before the night race to the hospital..my first daughter was coming to this world!

I remember how that evening seemed strange…our daughter Lucia was expected for December 9th but she was late. We chose that name because 2 of our grandma’s were named the same, but also because the name comes from the latin lux, lucis that means light. In Italy Saint Lucia is very popular and her day is the December 13th. The Saint came with gifts for the good children during the night because “Santa Lucia è la notte più lunga che ci sia” (meaning that this is the longest night of the year). So at evening of  December 12th my husband and I were  eating this so good spaghetti and we tought: maybe Saint Lucia will take a gift and finally we’ll start to be real parents…At 3.20 during that night we went to the hospital and a new life begun at midday…that is the moment of greatest light during the day and also our daughter’s name-day. Even after six months this story seems magical to me and every time I cook spaghetti all’amatricia I remember exactly that feeling of anticipation and all those joyful emotions. I hope, when you’ll cook this, to pass a little bit of that incredible happiness to you..enjoy!

Ingredients:

400 g spaghetti (uncooked)

1 spoon of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon  of red pepper flakes

1 onion chopped

4 slices of bacon, diced

1 spoon of white wine

80 g pecorino cheese

6 big tomatoes sliced

salt and black pepper

In a large sauce pan put 1 spoon of olive oil and cook the bacon with the red pepper till it takes a good color, add the white wine and let it evaporate. Take out and put it in a warm place. In the same pan add onion, fry them slightly and add tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add again the bacon and cook at low flames for few minutes.

In the meanwhile cook spaghetti in a large pot of 4 quarts boiling and salted water. When they are “al dente”, drain them and put in the pan with the sauce. Add pecorino and black pepper and toss. Buon appetito!