Bucatini all'amatriciana

Put the guanciale in a pan with a little water and heat; as the water boils away the fat renders and the guanciale starts to crisp.

Poke a hole in each whole peeled tomato so it does not burst, and squeeze them through the fingers to crush them.

Render until brown and crisp outside but still chewy and soft in the middle.

Add about a teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper to bloom in the fat.

Deglaze with a touch of sake and let the alcohol evaporate; add the tomatoes.

Boil the bucatini in just enough water to cover, lightly seasoned with salt and MSG, pulling it a couple of minutes before done (about nine or ten minutes in all).

Move the pasta into the sauce with a ladle of pasta water and simmer over the highest heat to emulsify; the acidic sauce slows the cooking, so it takes a few minutes.

Taste and adjust with a little more salt, MSG and black pepper, going easy because the pecorino adds salt.

Turn off the heat, add a final ladle of pasta water and a big shower of pecorino; toss and stir with no more heat so it melts evenly without clumping.

Return most of the crispy guanciale and finish with the rest of it, more pecorino and black pepper.

Variation: add chili flakes or dried chilies bloomed in the fat with the pepper, or a chili paste such as Calabrian, chili crisp or a Japanese chili paste.