Authentic home cooking from Italy, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Italy as Pasta alla Cantonata - Spaghettoni datterini gialli e guanciale

Pasta alla Cantonata - Spaghettoni with Yellow Datterini Tomatoes and Guanciale

Name: Pasta alla Cantonata - Spaghettoni with Yellow Datterini Tomatoes and Guanciale
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: Serves 3 servings
Ingredients: 7 oz yellow datterini tomatoes (200 g); 5 1/3 oz guanciale (150 g); 10 1/2 oz thick spaghetti (spaghettoni) (300 g); Black pepper; Salt; Garlic; Extra-virgin olive oil

Enzo Falleti @enzofalleti

Reggio Calabria

I've always been fascinated by creating illusions with food. I've seen many chefs do it, and some creations are truly stunning. That's what I wanted to do here in my own small way—when you see this dish, it looks like a classic carbonara, but with the first bite, a surprising sweetness bursts in your mouth. That's when you realize you've been delightfully fooled.

Enzo Falleti @enzofalleti

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Ingredients

20 minutes

Serves 3 servings

7 ozyellow datterini tomatoes (200 g)
5 1/3 ozguanciale (150 g)
10 1/2 ozthick spaghetti (spaghettoni) (300 g)
Black pepper
Salt
Garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil

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Steps

20 minutes

1

First, slice the guanciale into 1/2-inch thick slices, then cut into strips. Place it in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat without adding anything else. Let it render until it's crispy on the outside but still tender inside. Set aside and keep warm.
2

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, sauté a few whole garlic cloves in extra-virgin olive oil until golden. Add the yellow datterini tomatoes, season with salt, and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. When the pasta water boils, add salt and cook the pasta.
3

Once the pasta has released some starch into the water, scoop out a bit of the pasta water and add it to the tomatoes. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture, incorporating as much air as possible, until it has the creamy consistency of a classic egg yolk and pecorino mixture.
4

Drain the pasta about 4 minutes before it's done. Finish cooking it in the rendered guanciale fat, adding pasta water as needed. Toward the end, add the tomato purée. Toss until the pasta is creamy, then serve with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a generous sprinkle of guanciale. Enjoy!