Spaghetti all’amatriciana

Why

In the first minutes of boiling, starch is released from the surface of the pasta and it turns sticky; plenty of rapidly boiling water and a stir at that point stop it clumping, and the water doesn't cool down as much when the pasta goes in. Salt only gets into pasta while it cooks, which is why the water is salted generously, roughly 10 g per litre; that amount has a negligible effect on the boiling point, and oil in the water is pointless because it floats on top and doesn't prevent sticking. The cooking water is full of dissolved starch that thickens the sauce and helps its fat combine with water into a smooth emulsion that clings to the pasta. That is why pasta isn't rinsed after draining – you would wash off the starch the sauce holds on to and cool the pasta down; the only exception is pasta for a cold salad.

How to do it

1. Allow roughly a litre of water per 100 g of pasta and add about 10 g of salt per litre once it boils.
2. Drop the pasta into rapidly boiling water and stir now and then for the first two minutes.
3. Don't add oil to the water; it won't stop sticking.
4. Cook a minute or two less than the packet says and keep tasting.
5. Before draining, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water.
6. Don't rinse the pasta; transfer it straight into the sauce and finish cooking it there with a little of the cooking water.

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Why

The fat in bacon and in pork back fat is held in the cells of fatty tissue bound together by connective tissue; heat liquefies the fat so it gradually runs out, the water evaporates, and the lean parts shrink and turn crisp. This takes time, which is why bacon goes into a cold pan, even with a little water, and is heated over medium heat: the water keeps the temperature low at first, the fat renders before the surface scorches, and the bacon crisps evenly. In a fiercely hot pan the surface burns, the fat blackens and smokes, and the fatty parts stay rubbery. Pork fat for cracklings is rendered over gentle heat with frequent stirring until the cracklings are light brown and crush easily; overcooked cracklings give dark lard with a burnt taste. Bacon cured with nitrite also forms nitrosamines when fried over fierce heat, and EFSA regards dietary exposure to nitrosamines as a health concern, so this is one more reason to fry bacon until crisp, not black.

How to do it

1. Cut the bacon into slices, strips or cubes of even thickness, spread it in a cold pan in a single layer and, if you like, add about 4 tablespoons of water.
2. Heat over medium heat and turn it now and then; the water evaporates and the bacon then keeps frying in its own fat.
3. Take the bacon out as soon as it is golden brown; it crisps further on paper towel, and if it is dark while still in the pan, it is overcooked.
4. Cut pork fat for cracklings into even cubes and render it in a heavy pot over gentle heat, stirring often, until the cracklings turn golden.
5. Carefully strain the hot lard through a sieve into dry jars and keep it covered in the fridge once cool; never add water to hot fat, it boils up violently and spatters.
6. Use the fat rendered from bacon to soften onions or vegetables; let the rest set and put it in the bin, not down the drain.

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