Spicy Tomato Sauce with Pancetta

By kmad

Use pancetta or the traditional choice for this dish, guanciale. The meat gives this simple sauce a rich flavor. If you buy the meat at an Italian market, have the butcher slice it for you, and then cut it into strips when you get home.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta or guanciale (buonitalia.com), sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 ounces) peeled plum tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preparation

Step 1

1.Heat oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat. Cook pancetta, stirring often, until golden and fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Add onion and red-pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2.Stir in chopped tomatoes with juice, and add salt. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick, about 25 minutes.