Marry Me Pasta Recipe

I went to a cooking class looking to improve my cooking skills, but I ended up with a marriage proposal.

In my early 20s, I decided to take a cooking class because I was tired of trying out recipes and having them fall flat. I couldn’t afford to eat out every night, but I wanted what I made in my kitchen to taste as good as what I could find in a restaurant.

The very first cooking class I ever took was a demonstration class on easy pastas and sauces taught by the late Jill Prescott. Jill explained to my class the importance of using high-quality ingredients, and one of the recipes she taught us was a classic Amatriciana sauce.

Jill suggested using pancetta if you couldn’t find guanciale—a cured Italian pork product that’s traditional in the dish, but that can take a little hunting to find—and I started making the pancetta version regularly. Soon after, I made it for my sister Julie, and she told me, “Jeanette, someday you’re going to make your husband very happy.”

Julie is sometimes more than a bit prescient—she predicted that my son would be a jock before he’d even exited my womb. Later that year, and after making pasta Amatriciana for myself probably a dozen times, I met an architect named Kyle. After he impressed me by taking me to lunch at a French crêperie, we ended up talking for so long that dinner time rolled around. 

I looked into my refrigerator, and since I had the ingredients on hand to make pasta all’Amatriciana, I whipped up a batch. “That sealed the deal,” my husband later told me.

I’ve been making my “Marry Me Pasta” ever since. My husband and son love it because it’s delicious, and I love it because I can make it in about half an hour with ingredients I almost always have on hand. 

Use Pre-Prepped Pancetta

Though guanciale is the traditional pork used in Amatriciana, pancetta is easier to find. I usually stock up on 4-ounce packages of diced pancetta from the deli section every time I go to the grocery store. 

I keep two packages on hand in my freezer so that on days when I want something homemade but don’t want to spend an hour in the kitchen, I can whip up this sauce with a can of crushed tomatoes, an onion, some wine, and crushed red pepper. 

How to Make My Marry Me Pasta

To make four to six servings, you’ll need:

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or bacon grease
• 1 cup (8 ounces) diced pancetta
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
• 12 ounces angel hair pasta 
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning the pasta water
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or braiser over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the diced pancetta. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the pancetta renders and starts to become a little bit crispy, about 5 minutes.  

Add the onions and continue sautéing on high, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is crispy and the onions are somewhat caramelized, about 10 minutes.  

By this point the water should be boiling—add the pasta to the pot and cook according to the package directions for al dente, 2 to 5 minutes. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, wine, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the pancetta and onions. Bring the heat up to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced and the sauce has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. The pasta and sauce should be ready at about the same time. 

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss with the sauce over low heat until well-coated. Serve with grated Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. 

Ways to Personalize This Pasta

Though I will use ALDI’s crushed tomatoes if that’s what I’ve got on hand, the imported crushed tomatoes from my favorite Italian grocery store kick this recipe up a notch. Sometimes, I add chopped mushrooms while I sauté the onions since my family loves mushrooms, and if I’ve got some fresh basil or parsley growing in my summer herb garden, I’ll add a handful of that, too. Any way you decide to personalize it, this pasta is worthy of a marriage proposal.