Spaghetti all'Armatriciana / Spaghetti with Bacon, Cheese and Tomato

Second in my series, Great Roman Pasta Recipes is Spaghetti all'Armatricana. This is essentially the same recipe as Pasta all'Gricia I made last week, but with the addition of tomato's. All'Armatriciana originates from the town of Armatrice in the Sabine hills not far from Rome. It is said that the shepherds of Armitrice took the recipe to Rome when on their seasonal wanderings and the Romans adopted the dish as their official Cuisine of Rome. 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Barila spaghetti

2 tablespoons salt

1/3 pound gaunciale, a cured meat made from pork jowls or cheeks. Gaunciale is not generally available in the US, so pacetta is the closest substitute. However, even pacetta can be hard to find so I'm using:
1/2 pound bacon. 

2 crushed garlic cloves
pinch red pepper flakes

1 - 14 ounce can chopped tomato's, strained

1/4 cup fine grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Italian parsley

Preparation:

Take a 12" saute pan and heat to medium high. Cut the bacon into 1/3 inch pieces and add to the saute pan. Cook the bacon until crisp, but not burnt. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute and turn off the heat. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the chopped tomato's to the pan. Set a side until the pasta is ready.

Take a large stock pot and fill with water. Add 2 tablespoons salt and bring to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to directions, which is usually 9 - 10 minutes to al dente, firm to the bite. When done, drain the spaghetti reserving 1 cup pasta water.

When the pasta is done, heat the 12" saute pan to medium high and add the spaghetti and toss with the bacon, garlic, red pepper flakes and tomato's for a minute. Add the cup of reserved pasta water, toss for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the cheese on to the pasta and toss. Add some salt and pepper to taste and toss for 30 seconds until piping hot and you're done.

To serve, place a portion of pasta on a serving plate and garnish with Parmesan or Romano cheese and chopped Italian parsley.