At its most authentic amatricana pasta is a simple dish of pork and pecorino cheese topping a fresh pasta.   

It kept the central Apennines' shepherds fed as they moved their sheep and animals to and from the high mountain pastures twice a year.

The Romans documented something similar in the zone over 2000 years ago.

It seems the word 'matriciana' is a reference to the branding of the pigs back or 'guanciale' as identification.

Many shepherds also sold their animals and by-products in the markets in ancient Rome.

Nevertheless, the amatricana we know and love today is all the good work of the folks of Amatrice in Alta Sabina who started making it with one fundamental extra ingredient unknown in Roman times, tomatoes.

This moment is well documented.

On the 28 February 1529 the town of Amatrice was burned to the ground by the Spanish.

The inhabitants fled and sought protection under the Kingdom of Naples.

Naples was also one of the first cities in Italy to appreciate the culinary potential of the tomato which had recently landed in Europe.

The vegetable, or is it fruit, soon found its way into the traditional amatriciana dish of the mountains.

The pork ingredient was refined to become matured seasoned 'guanciale'.

Today, the classic recipe which appears in official brochure by the Comune di Amatrice also features extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine San Marzano, peperoncino and salt.

No sign of black pepper or onions.

www.amatriciana.org