Chef Phil moved up the ranks at New York City’s Barbuto restaurant from line cook to sous chef to chef de cuisine. For his family’s holiday meal, he serves his take on the Italian restaurant’s buccatini all’Amatriciana substituting a unique pasta, pancetta for the cured pork element and Parmesan in place of pecorino cheese.
Holidays in my household, like in most Filipino households, revolve around food. My mom and I made a deal: I cook for Thanksgiving and she cooks for Christmas (and I always help out with the Christmas dinner by preparing one or two dishes). My mom always cooks traditional Filipino fare, things from our childhood that bring us all back home, and she requests that I cook something that I learned from my time at restaurants, so that my family can experience what I have experienced while working. I always cook my favorite pasta, all’Amatriciana, which is a crowd favorite at Barbuto. It’s a simple dish, which is perfect so that I’m not in my mom’s way when she’s cooking. I like experimenting with different shapes of pasta for it, so this time I’m using paccheri, a large tube-shaped pasta from Campania.
Ingredients
- 1 pound paccheri
- 6 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 medium Spanish onion, sliced
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt accordingly.
- In a medium sauce pot, render out the pancetta until crispy, about 4 minutes, over medium heat.
- Lower the heat and add the onions. Cook until the onions are sweated out and caramelized.
- Add the tomato sauce and simmer. Adjust the seasoning, taking care to watch the salt because of the pancetta.
- While the sauce is simmering, drop the pasta into the water. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and add butter and Parmesan.
- Remove from heat and toss until completely combined.
- Plate and garnish with grated Parmesan.
Note: For added depth, add 1 cup shredded mozzarella and bread crumbs, and bake at 350°F for 10 mins in Staub cast iron cookware.
Chef Phil customizes menus for Special Events at ICE. See how he can enhance your next gathering.
