Spaghetti with Bacon Sauce, a simple, rustic take on the Italian classic all’Amatriciana, adapted from my dad’s Romeo Salta cookbook.
I grew up in the 1970s with a father who loved to cook. One of my favorite dishes was his spaghetti with bacon sauce — comforting, flavorful, and always a welcome answer to “What’s for dinner?” at the end of a school day. We would sit around the table slurping every last bit of sauce and asking for seconds.
For years my mom couldn’t remember how he made it, so the recipe became one of those treasured but fuzzy memories. Recently she found my dad’s copy of The Pleasures of Italian Cooking by Romeo Salta and discovered the recipe tucked inside — signed by the author and annotated by my dad. It felt like finding a family heirloom.
Romeo Salta is known for introducing refined Italian cooking to American diners while keeping dishes honest and straightforward. His approach is reflected in this recipe: simple ingredients that come together to make a satisfying, unmistakably Italian sauce.
This dish is commonly called Spaghetti all’Amatriciana. Traditionally it uses guanciale, but bacon or pancetta are common and delicious substitutes. My dad likely used canned tomatoes, which gave a looser sauce. I cooked mine with fresh Roma tomatoes, which made a slightly thicker, heartier sauce. The base is bacon, onion, white wine and tomatoes, finished with grated Pecorino or Parmesan. It’s a classic Italian-American comfort dish — straightforward, bold, and deeply satisfying.
Having the cookbook back in my hands feels like reclaiming a piece of family history. I can see why my dad cherished it — the recipes are timeless and approachable. I hope Papa would be pleased to know I’m making his spaghetti with bacon sauce and carrying on a favorite family meal. Best, Kelly
Below is the adapted recipe from the Romeo Salta book, streamlined for home cooks and faithful to the simple flavors that make this dish so comforting.
Spaghetti with Bacon Sauce
10 minutes
30 minutes
40 minutes
6 servings
452 kcal
Kelly Wildenhaus
Ingredients
- ¼ pound bacon, diced
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or canned whole Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cook the diced bacon and chopped onion over medium heat until lightly browned. Add the white wine and cook until it has almost evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes, black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper if using. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as the tomatoes break down. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and add it to the saucepan. Toss with half of the grated cheese until well combined, adding reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cheese.
Recipe Notes
- To peel fresh tomatoes quickly: score an X on the bottom and plunge them into boiling water for about 1 minute. Transfer to cold water or a colander; the skins should slip off easily.
- For a more traditional Amatriciana, substitute 4 ounces of guanciale or pancetta, thinly sliced and roughly chopped, for the bacon.
Nutrition
*Adapted from The Pleasures of Italian Cooking by Romeo Salta (recipe adapted and annotated by the author’s family).