Could I use something other than pancetta?

It won't be *quite* as good, but bacon would be a good substitute here for that delicious smokiness.

How could I make this vegetarian?

What really makes this recipe is the smokiness from the pancetta and sausage, so we'd probably opt for a different recipe. However, it's possible that some smoked paprika would be a good stand-in. We haven't tried, but would love to hear how it is if you give it a try!

How spicy is this recipe?

It's got a kick! But it's easy to adjust - just omit the red pepper flakes (or reduce them). You could also reduce the pepperoncini, but the spicy really comes from the red pepper flakes.

Mucci's Bucatini Recipe

Name: Mucci's Bucatini
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 ounces diced pancetta; 1 lb. ground sausage; 1 small yellow onion, diced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes (I like San Marzano tomatoes), crushed by hand; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1-2 cups chicken broth or water to thin the sauce; 2-4 tablespoons butter to tame the heat (if you want); 1 cup sliced pepperoncini (more to taste); 8 ounces bucatini pasta for serving; 1/2 cup pecorino cheese for topping

Description

Restaurant-level bucatini, at home! A spicy, briney, smokey red sauce clinging to delicious chewy bucatini noodles. Inspired by Mucci’s Italian in St. Paul, MN.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Sauce

Note: This makes 8 servings of sauce. See notes below recipe for more details.

4 ounces diced pancetta
1 lb. ground sausage
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes (I like San Marzano tomatoes), crushed by hand
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1–2 cups chicken broth or water to thin the sauce
2–4 tablespoons butter to tame the heat (if you want)
1 cup sliced pepperoncini (more to taste)

Serving

8 ounces bucatini pasta for serving
1/2 cup pecorino cheese for topping

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Instructions

In a large heavy pot like a Dutch oven, cook the pancetta over medium high heat until very, very browned. You want them to be well-done; browned, almost crispy, and concentrated with flavor. Remove pancetta and set aside; drain oil out of the pan.
In the same pot, brown the Italian sausage until cooked through and crumbled. Remove sausage and set aside, saving a little bit of the oil in the pan.
In the same pot, add the onion and garlic. (Add a bit of olive oil if needed.) Sauté until soft and fragrant. Add tomato paste and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add sausage and pancetta back in to the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the broth until desired consistency is reached. Add butter if you want.
Add pepperoncini. Simmer for 5 more minutes until the pepperoncini are very soft but not broken down.
Cook bucatini according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Pour sauce over cooked bucatini and keep over heat for a few minutes to help the sauce and noodles come together.
Top bucatini with pecorino cheese! MWAH. What a moment.

Notes

This amount of sauce is good for an entire package of bucatini (8 servings). However, I find that we rarely cook a full package of bucatini. I usually use about half of the sauce for half a package of bucatini (about 4 servings). The rest of the sauce will freeze well or keep in the fridge for several days.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: bucatini recipe, Mucci's Italian, pasta recipe, spicy pasta recipe