Carbonara and Amatriciana are siblings. The guanciale is the same. The Pecorino Romano is the same. What separates them is tomato. Amatriciana is the older recipe: it existed before egg yolks entered the equation.
The guanciale renders low and slow until the fat turns translucent and the meat crisps. Then you deglaze with white wine and let the tomato sauce finish in under ten minutes. No shortcuts on the guanciale: the two fat layers are what give the dish its character.
Use the same generous pasta water you would use for carbonara. Just as important here.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Remove the skin from the guanciale and cut into strips roughly 1/2 in wide.
Place the guanciale strips in a cold iron or steel skillet. Heat over low heat and cook for 7-8 minutes until the fat turns translucent and the meat crisps slightly.
Raise the heat to high. Deglaze with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate for about 1 minute. Transfer the guanciale to a plate.
In the same pan, add the whole chili pepper and the hand-crushed peeled tomatoes over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt. Discard the chili.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the penne for 11 minutes.
Return the guanciale to the tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Drain the penne, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Transfer to the pan and toss vigorously over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce coats every piece, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen if needed.
Serve immediately. Pass the Pecorino Romano at the table and let each person grate their own.
You made Penne all'Amatriciana. Time to eat.
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Start the guanciale in a cold pan. A cold start lets the fat render slowly without burning. By the time the pan is hot, you have a pool of fat to cook in and crispy, not charred, meat.
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