2 ½ pounds ripe plum tomatoes
4 ounces sliced guanciale or pancetta
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 dried red chilies, broken into bits with or without seeds for heat as desired
¾ pound bucatini pasta
½ cup white wine
2 pinches sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute. Use tongs to remove them and let cool until you can handle, then remove their skins. Cut them into quarters, remove the seeds and roughly chop. Reserve the water for cooking the pasta, keeping it at a simmer.
If using guanciale, cut into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips, 1 inch long. If using pancetta, cut into 1/3 wide strips, 1 inch long.
Bring the large pot of water back up to a boil. As the water heats up, heat a skillet large and deep enough to hold the finished pasta dish over low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and let heat for 2 minutes. Once heated, add guanciale or pancetta and red chile pieces. Cook, stirring a few times, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the meat turns a light golden color (don’t let it crisp). Transfer the meat to a small dish.
Once the water is boiling, add salt (1 tablespoon for every 4 cups water) and stir. Add the bucatini, stirring for the first minute to prevent any sticking. Cook according to the package instructions, draining the pasta 2 minutes short of the directed cooking time so it is soft but still firm and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining. Return the empty pot to the stove. Immediately turn the heat to high, add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and reserved pasta water. Add the drained pasta and toss for a minute. Then remove from heat.
Add wine to the skillet on medium to high heat. Scrape the browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 minutes to reduce the wine. Add tomatoes, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes; the bubbling of the sauce should be lively. Every so often, add a few spoonful's of the pasta water if it looks as though the sauce is thickening up too much.
Transfer the pasta to the skillet with the sauce, sprinkle over the pecorino and meat, tossing continuously for 2 minutes.
Serve piping hot sprinkled with parsley and more grated pecorino.
