Ina Garten’s Cozy Weeknight Spaghettoni Recipe

Weeknight spaghettoni transforms ordinary pasta into a culinary adventure that promises comfort and excitement on your dinner plate.

Rich Italian ingredients dance together in a symphony of flavors, creating a meal that feels both sophisticated and wonderfully approachable.

Bold pancetta brings depth while sweet tomatoes provide remarkable brightness to this classic dish.

Each ingredient plays a strategic role in building complex layers of taste and texture.

Professional home cooks understand how simple components can elevate a straightforward recipe into something extraordinary.

Mediterranean influences shine through with carefully selected elements that spark genuine satisfaction.

Warm aromas will fill your kitchen, signaling a remarkable dining experience awaits: dive into deliciousness.

Pasta Night Starts with Spaghettoni

Step 1: Prepare Boiling Liquid

Fill a large pot with water and sprinkle in salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, creating the perfect bath for your pasta.

Step 2: Crisp Pancetta

Heat olive oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add pancetta and cook until golden and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a separate plate, leaving behind the flavorful oil.

Step 3: Caramelize Onions

In the same pot with pancetta drippings, sauté chopped onions until they turn soft and develop a beautiful golden-brown color, approximately 10 minutes.

Step 4: Infuse Aromatics

• Minced garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Stir and cook for 1 minute to release their intense flavors.

Step 5: Deglaze With Wine

Pour in red wine and let it simmer, scraping up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine almost completely evaporates, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 6: Build The Sauce

• Salt
• Black pepper

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Step 7: Cook Pasta

Add spaghettoni or bucatini to the boiling water. Cook 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente instructions for the perfect texture.

Step 8: Marry Pasta And Sauce

Transfer pasta to the sauce using tongs, bringing along some pasta water. Gently cook over low heat for 2 minutes, creating a silky sauce.

Step 9: Final Touches

• Pecorino cheese
• Fresh basil

Toss thoroughly and taste for final seasoning.

Step 10: Serve With Flair

Plate the pasta in beautiful bowls. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately while hot and steaming.

Tips for Rich Tomato & Pancetta Flavor

• Select Premium Pancetta: Grab high-quality, thick-cut pancetta from a good deli for authentic Italian flavor and rich, meaty texture.
• Master Al Dente Perfection: Undercook pasta by 2 minutes to ensure it absorbs sauce beautifully and maintains a perfect chewy bite.
• Liquid Gold Pasta Water: Reserve a cup of starchy cooking water to rescue thick sauces and help ingredients cling perfectly to your noodles.
• Flavor Balance Magic: Taste and adjust seasonings just before serving, adding a pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, or black pepper to elevate the dish.
• Finishing Touch Flair: Garnish with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and torn basil leaves to add brightness, color, and a professional chef's final flourish.

Storage Tips for Spaghettoni Success

• Refrigerate: Seal the spaghettoni in an airtight glass container to preserve its delicious flavors and prevent any funky refrigerator odors from sneaking in. Fresh pasta keeps its best texture and taste for 2-3 days when stored properly. Keep the container toward the back of the fridge where temperatures remain most consistent.
• Freeze: Transform leftover spaghettoni into a future meal by freezing in portioned freezer-safe containers. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil before sealing to prevent pasta from sticking together. Label containers with the date and contents, ensuring you'll enjoy a quick meal within 3 months. Pro tip: Freeze flat to save precious freezer space.
• Reheat: Revive cold pasta by spritzing with water and microwaving in short bursts.

Try These Spaghettoni Variations Tonight

• Vegetarian Veggie Blast: Replace pancetta with sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers for a hearty plant-based version. Add extra garlic and herbs to boost flavor intensity.
• Spicy Mediterranean Mix: Swap red wine with white wine, incorporate kalamata olives, and sprinkle crumbled feta cheese instead of Pecorino. Increase red pepper flakes for extra heat.
• Seafood Coastal Remix: Substitute pancetta with fresh shrimp or crab meat. Use white wine, add fresh parsley, and finish with a squeeze of lemon for a bright, oceanic profile. Reduce simmering time to keep seafood tender.
• Creamy Autumn Comfort: Add a splash of heavy cream to the sauce and stir in roasted butternut squash cubes. Garnish with crispy sage leaves and toasted pine nuts for a rich, seasonal interpretation.

Spaghettoni Farewell Notes

Rich culinary heritage sparkles through Ina Garten’s spaghettoni recipe, blending classic Italian techniques with modern home cooking sensibilities.

Pancetta’s smoky notes dance alongside sweet tomatoes, creating complex flavor profiles that elevate simple ingredients.

Hearty comfort emerges from each carefully crafted bite, revealing layers of gastronomic depth.

Mediterranean warmth radiates from this carefully constructed dish, connecting home cooks with traditional Italian cooking methods.

Robust flavors intertwine delicately, transforming ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dining experience.

Perfect for weeknight dinners or intimate gatherings, this recipe promises deliciousness you cannot resist – so grab those ingredients, channel your inner chef, and share this mouthwatering masterpiece with friends who’ll be begging for seconds.

Savor, snap, share, and spread the culinary love!

Why Spaghettoni with Pancetta Feels Like Comfort

• Savor Rich Flavor Layers: Each bite delivers a complex taste profile with crispy pancetta, sweet caramelized onions, and bright tomato sauce creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate.
• Master Quick Gourmet Cooking: This recipe transforms simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality meal in just 30 minutes, proving delicious dinners don't require complicated techniques or hours of preparation.
• Enjoy Perfectly Balanced Texture: The dish combines crispy pancetta, silky sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta, offering a delightful contrast of textures that keeps every forkful interesting and satisfying.
• Experience Versatile Weeknight Magic: Suitable for casual family dinners or impromptu gatherings, this recipe adapts effortlessly to different dining scenarios while maintaining its elegant Italian-inspired charm.

What Goes in Weeknight Spaghettoni

• Spaghettoni, Bucatini: Classic Italian long pasta with a substantial texture, perfect for holding rich sauces.

• Pancetta: Classic Italian cured pork belly that adds deep, salty flavor and richness to the sauce.

• Onion, Garlic: Aromatic base ingredients that provide fundamental depth and sweetness to the tomato sauce.

• Red Wine: Adds complex depth and helps deglaze the pan, enhancing overall sauce flavor.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Core sauce ingredient with bright, rich tomato flavor.
• Sugar: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes for a smoother sauce taste.

• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a subtle, warming heat to the sauce.
• Basil: Fresh herb that brings a bright, aromatic finish to the dish.

• Pecorino Cheese: Sharp, salty Italian sheep's milk cheese that adds rich umami flavor.

• Olive Oil: Essential for sautéing and building sauce base.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Basic seasonings to enhance and balance overall dish flavors.

Ina Garten Weeknight Spaghettoni With Tomatoes & Pancetta Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 38 reviews

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Ina Garten’s weeknight spaghettoni masterpiece blends Italian countryside charm with quick culinary magic. Rustic pancetta and ripe tomatoes dance together, creating a simple yet luxurious pasta experience perfect for elegant home dining.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried spaghettoni or bucatini
• 6 ounces (170 grams) diced pancetta
• 1 (14.5-ounce) (411 grams) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes

Vegetables and Aromatics:

• 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving

Liquids and Seasonings:

• ½ cup dry red wine, such as Chianti
• 1½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese, divided (4 ounces)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Good olive oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Prepare a large pot by filling it with water and adding of salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Heat of olive oil in a medium-sized (10-inch) Dutch oven or pot over medium-low temperature. Carefully sauté the pancetta until it turns golden brown and crisp, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Extract the pancetta using a slotted spoon and set aside temporarily.
3. In the same pot with residual oil, introduce the finely chopped onion. Allow the onion to soften and caramelize, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
4. Reintroduce the reserved pancetta into the pot. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir the ingredients and let them meld together for approximately 1 minute, releasing their aromatic qualities.
5. Pour the red wine into the pot, creating a deglazing effect. Allow the liquid to reduce and concentrate, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes until it nearly completely evaporates.
6. Incorporate crushed tomatoes and a pinch of sugar into the mixture. Elevate the temperature to bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, periodically stirring to prevent sticking.
7. Season the sauce with of salt and ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. Submerge the spaghettoni or bucatini into the boiling salted water. Cook the pasta approximately 2 minutes less than the package’s recommended al dente timing.
9. Transfer the partially cooked pasta directly into the sauce using tongs, ensuring to bring along some pasta water. Gently combine over low heat for 2 minutes, creating a cohesive sauce consistency.
10. Remove the pot from heat. Fold in ½ cup (50 grams) of Pecorino cheese and ¼ cup (15 grams) of fresh basil leaves. Toss thoroughly to distribute evenly.
11. Plate the pasta in serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining ½ cup (50 grams) of Pecorino cheese and additional basil leaves. Serve immediately while piping hot.

Notes

• Elevate your dish by selecting premium pancetta from Italian specialty stores for authentic, rich flavor.
• Undercook pasta slightly, aiming for al dente texture, which allows it to continue absorbing sauce during serving.
• Liquid gold comes from reserved pasta water – this starchy secret helps bind sauce and pasta perfectly.
• Professional chefs recommend tasting and adjusting seasonings just before plating to ensure maximum deliciousness.
• Finishing touches matter – generously garnish with freshly grated Pecorino and vibrant basil leaves for restaurant-quality presentation.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Method: Sautéing
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving (1 cup or about 240 g)
• Calories: 620
• Sugar: 5 g
• Sodium: 850 mg
• Fat: 25 g
• Saturated Fat: 8 g
• Carbohydrates: 70 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 22 g
• Cholesterol: 35 mg