Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Rooted in the rural village of in Abruzzi, high in Central Italy's Apennines up a long and winding road east of Rome, this simple but comforting dish is a tradition of the late-summer Italian holiday Fer Agosto. Wine club members will enjoy this recipe with your Azienda Tilli Lupus 2011 Montepulicano D'Abruzzo, this month's International Series wine. (Recipe courtesy of Wineloverspage.com).

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients • 1 oz Pancetta

• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 Tbsp butter

• 1/4 tsp dried red-pepper flakes or to taste

• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped (fresh or quality canned)

• salt

• black pepper

• 4 oz Bucatini (or other pasta of your choice) • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Grana Padano or similar cheese)

Chop the onion fine and cut the Pancetta into small dices. Melt the butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red-pepper flakes and cook until the onions are translucent; then add the Pancetta (or substitute, as noted) and cook until the onions and the meat start to brown. Put in the tomatoes, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce heat to very low. Leave it at a gentle simmer while you cook the pasta. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick or scorch.

Following the standard procedure for pasta, fill a large pot with plenty of water, add a tablespoon or so of salt, "enough to make it taste like sea water," and bring to the boil. Add the pasta, stir once or twice to keep it from sticking together, and cook until .

(If you use Bucatini, note that it cooks surprisingly fast - probably because of the hole down the center - requiring only 7 or 8 minutes. or short pasta may take a bit longer.)

When the pasta is done, drain it well, then pour it into the sauce; serve in warmed bowls sprinkled with the grated cheese.

We love to receive feedback from our wine club members! If you make this recipe, please let us know what you think and snap a photo to share with other wine club members.