Every pasta shape works for amatriciana, technically. Spaghetti, rigatoni, tonnarelli. But bucatini is the shape the people of Amatrice used, and there is a reason: the hollow tube pulls sauce in as you eat it, so the ratio of pasta to guanciale fat to tomato shifts with each bite.
The recipe has three things: guanciale rendered in its own fat (not olive oil, not butter), canned peeled tomatoes crushed by hand and simmered ten minutes, and Pecorino Romano at the end. A splash of white wine lifts the fond after the guanciale. No onion. No garlic. No parmesan.
We make this with our Gusta bucatini from Umbria. The bronze-die (trafila al bronzo) extrusion gives it a rough surface that catches the sauce on the outside while the hollow center pulls it in.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Slice guanciale into strips about ½ in wide. Place in a cold, dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat turns translucent and the edges are lightly golden but not brittle, about 6 minutes. Pour off all but a thin film of the rendered fat.
Raise heat to high. Add white wine and cook until it evaporates completely, about 1 minute, scraping up any fond from the pan.
Add crushed tomatoes and chili pepper if using. Season very lightly with salt. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and a ring of orange fat appears at the pan's edge.
Cook the bucatini in heavily salted water for 4 minutes for al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water before draining.
Drain pasta and transfer directly to the sauce. Toss over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, adding pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce tightens. The bucatini should be glossy and fully coated.
Remove from heat. Add half the Pecorino Romano and toss quickly. Plate immediately. Finish with the remaining cheese and a grind of black pepper.
You made Bucatini all'Amatriciana. Time to eat.
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The single most important thing here is not oversalting the pasta water. The guanciale and pecorino together carry significant salt, and it builds as the sauce reduces. Taste the sauce before adding any salt at all. The second: do not over-crisp the guanciale. Rendered and lightly golden is right. Brittle is wrong.
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