Name: All'Amatriciana Sauce
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 ounces Salt pork , cut into 1/4-inch dice; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 teaspoon Salt; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1/2 cup red wine; 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1/4 teaspoon sugar; 1 ounce Pecorino Romano , grated (1/2 cup); 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

To replicate the long-simmered flavor of traditional tomato sauce in our quick-cooking version, we start by caramelizing onions—finely diced for more surface area—in butter. Dried herbs and garlic complete the base flavors. Canned crushed tomatoes, which require no chopping or pureeing, are the bulk of our sauce, and a pinch of sugar rounds out their tang. Stir in a few final ingredients at the end, and guests will think this 20-minute concoction has been simmering on the stove all day.

Before You Begin

The test kitchen’s preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Muir Glen Organic Crushed Tomatoes with Basil and Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree with Basil.

Instructions

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pork and cook until crispy, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to paper towel–lined plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Add onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in pork, Pecorino, and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.