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1
Fill a pasta pot or a large stockpot with 6 quarts of water, add 6 tablespoons of kosher salt, and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
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2
If you are not using a pasta pot, place a colander in the sink or have a wire strainer handy to lift the pasta out of the water.
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3
Combine the olive oil and guanciale in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and cook until the guanciale is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes.
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4
Add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic is light golden and fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
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5
Add the passata, sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for about 1 minute, to dissolve the sugar and warm the sauce.
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6
Turn off the heat and add the basil while you cook the pasta.
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7
Drop the pasta into the boiling water, stir to prevent it from sticking together, partially cover the pot so the water returns to a boil quickly and continues boiling, and cook the pasta, using the time indicated on the package as a guide, until its al dente.
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8
About 1 minute before the pasta is done, place the sauce over high heat.
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9
Lift the pasta out of the cooking water, or reserve 1 cup of the water and drain the pasta, and immediately add it to the pan with the sauce.
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10
Cook the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula to stain the pasta with the sauce, adding some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta is dry and sticky instead of slippery and glistening.
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11
Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and peppers.
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12
Add the finishing-quality olive oil, stirring vigorously and shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce.
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13
Pile the pasta in the center of each of four plates, dividing it evenly, and spoon any sauce remaining in the pan over the pasta.
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14
Use a microplane or another fine grater to grate a light layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each plate, and serve.
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15
Lamezia Rosso (Calabria)
