Craving... pasta

My Godparents are Italian, so I was raised on homemade pastas and sauces. Watching my Godmother cook was always fascinating. She would show me what she did, serve an 8 course meal whenever we visited and would send us home with enough leftovers for days. I get serious pasta cravings because of it! I found this recipe one day and tried it in hopes of creating something worthy of my heritage. This is what I am thinking about right now. I might as well pass this on to you!

From Williams-Sonoma

Bucatini all' Amatriciana

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/3 lb. pancetta, diced
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 lb. ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded
    and diced, or 2 cups chopped canned plum
    tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Salt, to taste
• 1 lb. dried bucatini, perciatelli or spaghetti
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta renders some of its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Season with salt. Remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 12 minutes or according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, reheat the sauce gently over low heat.

Drain the pasta and return to the warm pot. Add the sauce and 1/4 cup of the pecorino cheese. Toss well. Divide among warmed dishes. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, dividing it evenly. Serve immediately.