Italian celebrity chef Carlo Cracco created quite a stir when he suggested a secret ingredient his version of Spaghetti alla Amatriciana. He added garlic.

The city of Amatrice claims to have invented the dish. Spoiler alert — probably not. But nevertheless, that didn’t stop the Italian municipality from issuing a stern reprimand and an official Amatriciana recipe.

Perhaps though the most important ingredient is not whether or not garlic is added, but the use of guanciale instead of bacon or pancetta. Made from the pig’s jowl, the meat is sweeter than bacon and has a more delicate flavor. Spaghetti is the official pasta.

Ingredients

4.5 oz guanciale
1 tablespoon oil
14 oz tomatoes
chili
1 drop white wine
3.5 oz percorino romano

Instructions

Slice guanciale.
Cook meat with pepper in oil.
Add wine.
Peel and seed tomatoes.
Add tomatoes.
Simmer ingredients together.
Toss pasta and cheese.
Add sauce to pasta.
Top with additional cheese.