Salsa All'amatriciana (Pasta Sauce)

In a complete departure from yesterday's Indian meal, today I attempted a basic, but authentic, Italian recipe. I have to admit I went searching for a recipe to suit what I already had on hand. I did not pick a recipe first, then go purchase ingredients. I am one of those people that often has too much food on hand. My best friend calls attention to the fact that I have a nut section in my cupboard, with probably at least 10 types of nuts. She's the kind of gal who rarely shops in advance (at least to my knowledge), but rather shops as the need arises. I often too much food on hand, of varying commonness and rarity.
Today's recipe, Salsa All'amatriciana was chosen from Everyday Italian, by Giada DeLaurentiis. It was chosen mainly because I had pancetta on hand that needed to be use. Also, tomorrow is grocery store day, so today's fridge inhaibtants were sparse. Giada descibes the recipe as such, "This is Rome's famous pasta sauce, but the recipe actually originated in a town outside Rome, called amatrice. This sauce is bold and perfectly balances with tangy tomatoes, sweet onion, and the salty meatiness of pancetta. In the time it takes to boil the water (for the pasta) the sauce is finished."
Ms. DeLaurentiis' claim that the sauce is quick and easy was quite accurate. While it took me a little longer to prep the ingredients than it took her, the sauce was perfectly finished by the time the pasta was cooked. The pancetta could be easily substituted with bacon for an easy everyday meal. Not everyone has pancetta just lying around.
The family's reaction:
My husband again went back for seconds as he did the night before with the cauliflower. I joked that he was not going to make it through the year if he keeps having second helpings. His NYR next year might to be to eat less of my cooking. He said he liked the authentic taste of the sauce. It tasted simple, but very real.


My daughter, aged 6, said it was "really good". She ate almost her entire serving. She might have continued had I not brought out the ice cream to the table. My bad.
My son, aged 12 months, seemed uninterested in food all together. He did take a few bites. No pasta was through over the side of the highchair. I take this as a good sign in babyworld.

This is definitely a recipe that lives up to the title of the book, Everyday Italian. It's a great variation on the standard red sauce. I estimate that I will now make this meal once a month.