Bucatini all'amatriciana Recipe

This is a tasty and easy pasta which has the down side that the ingredients are not so easy to find in every supermarket worldwide. This is why I will list the original and the possible substitutes for these ingredients. Don't worry, It's going to be very tasty ...even if you use the alternatives.

Ingredients:
350 gr (13oz or 3/4 of a pound) of Bucatini Pasta
100 gr (3.5 oz) of Pork Cheek (Jowl Bacon)
400 gr (14 oz) of mature Tomatoes
2 spoons of Pecorino Cheese
Spicy Pepper and Salt to taste
Substitutes:
Bucatini with Spaghetti
Pork Cheek with Bacon
Tomato with 1 Tomato Sauce Can
Pecorino with Parmesan or Strong Cedar



Steps:

1. If you use fresh tomatoes, which I highly recommend because the taste is much better , put them to boil for a couple of minutes. Then peel them off and chop them into big chunks.

2. Cut the bacon or pork cheek into cubes. Put them to brown in a non stick pan. Cook it in low heat until is golden and crunchy. Then set it aside and add the spicy pepper, cool it until soft and then add the tomatoes! Cook for 10 minutes in medium heat. Add salt if needed.

3. Meantime, cook the pasta in abundant boiling salty water. Then drain the water. Add the bacon/pork cheek to the sauce an then add also the pasta to the mixture. Mix them all together for 1-2 minutes in low heat.

4. Transfer the dish into a plate, add the chosen cheese and serve!

Here is also the video where I show how I make it! Enjoy!

Chickpea Crackers

 My daughter is a picky eater. She does not easily eat chickpeas! This is a fun way to have her used to the chickpea taste...and get her involved into helping me to prepare the crackers. They are not as crispy as commercial crackers are, but, if you use cereal flour, they are close! Also, add some sesame seeds for more flavor.

Ingredients:

Chickpea:    1 can
White or Cereal Flour:    1 cup
Parmesan:    4 spoons
Olive Oil :   3 spoons
Salt:    1 small spoon
Dry Yeast:    1 small spoon
Garlic:    Half a glove

Steps:

1. Patiently Peel of the skin of the chickpeas. It may take a while, but, it is worth it.
2. Place the chickpeas, oil and garlic into the blender and mix it until obtaining a creamy paste.
3. Place the obtained mixure in a bowl and add the parmesan salt and and mix it well.
4. Add half of the flour and mix it until obtaining a homogenous non sticky dough. Add more flour if it feels sticky. Once you are done, divide it in five smaller balls and leave it rest in room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Afterwards, it will be softer but it does not raise.
5. On a clean surface, use some of the remaining flour to roll the dough flat. You want it to be thin so that the crackers are crispy once cooked. In this step you may also add sesame seeds to add more flavor.  Use food cutters to cut the crackers into different shapes, or you can cut the flattened dough into squares.
6. Place all in the oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Keep eye on them as cooking times may vary. Once golden, they are ready!

The following video gives you more insides on how to make them. You can also see the consistency of the dough. I hope you like them!