Spaghetti Amatriciana With Crispy Bacon inspired by Eat Pray Love (2010)

By Gousto

Eat Pray Love (2010), Julia Roberts eats spaghetti Amatriciana. (40 mins 9 seconds)

Channel your inner Julia Roberts with this swoon worthy, smoky spaghetti, inspired by Eat Pray Love. You’ll infuse a San Marzano tomato sauce with British bacon lardons, and sprinkle with Italian hard cheese to serve. Buon appetito!

Ingredients

For 2 people [double for 4]

30g grated Italian hard cheese
32g tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
125g cherry tomatoes
190g spaghetti
10g basil
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
5.5g chicken stock mix
100g British bacon lardons
2 garlic cloves
1 brown onion

You’ll also need

Olive oil, pepper, salt, sugar

Cooking instructions 30 mins

For 2 people [double for 4]

Step 1

Boil a kettle. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon lardons and cook for 8 min, stirring frequently, or until golden and crispy.

Step 2

While the bacon lardons are cooking, peel and finely dice the brown onion[s]. Peel and finely slice (don’t chop) the garlic. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

Step 3

Once the lardons are crispy, transfer them to a plate and return the pan (and oil!) to a medium heat. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 6-7 min or until softened. Dissolve the tomato paste and chicken stock mix in 200ml [300ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock.

Step 4

Once the onion has softened, add the halved tomatoes, sliced garlic, dried oregano and chilli flakes (can’t handle the heat? Go easy!) to the pan and cook for 4-5 min further or until the tomatoes have broken down into a sauce. Once broken down, add the tomato stock with a pinch of sugar and cook for 3-4 min further or until the sauce has thickened.

Step 5

Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to a pot of boiled water with a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 8-10 min or until cooked with a slight bite. Once done, drain the cooked spaghetti and reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water.

Step 6

While the spaghetti is cooking, chop the basil finely, including the stalks.

Step 7

Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce with half the chopped basil and half the crispy lardons (save the rest for garnish!) and give everything a good mix up until the sauce coats the pasta – this is your spaghetti Amatriciana.

Tip: Add a splash of starchy pasta water if it’s looking a little dry

Step 8

Serve the spaghetti Amatriciana and garnish with the remaining crispy lardons and chopped basil. Sprinkle over the grated Italian hard cheese and season with a good grind of black pepper. Enjoy!

Nutritional and allergen information

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