Spaghetti all'Amatricciana

Sometimes the only thing that really warms you up -- body and soul -- on a raw and rainy early winter day is a bowl of pasta and a "big red" wine.

If that's what you are looking for, this recipe fits the bill. If you keep pancetta or bacon on hand, this is a pantry meal that can be on the table in about 30 minutes.

The recipe calls for the strained Pomi tomatoes, but I had some leftover fire-roasted canned tomatoes, so I strained those, and reduced the resulting sauce by half as the recipe called for. I think they added a nice smokiness to this spicy pasta. I used 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes rather than the 1.5-2 tsp. Batali calls for because we are spice wimps.