LIdia Bastianich

One story says that this recipe originated in early 20th-century Naples, specifically in the Quartieri Spagnoli, where the houses of pleasure were situated. Others say the dish was invented in Rome under similar circumstances.

This pasta was originally made with a white sauce, before tomatoes were introduced to Italy in the eighteenth century, but the key ingredients now are jowl bacon (called guanciale), olive oil, ripe plum tomatoes and pecorino cheese, cooked together in a lightweight cast-iron pan. This is my personal rendition, and deviates from the traditional version with the addition of sliced onions, for texture and sweetness, as well as some peper­oncino and, to add complexity, bay leaves.

These meatballs are baked, but you can also lightly flour and fry them in some olive oil, turning them until they're crisp on all sides. Or you can gently add them raw to the simmering sauce, give them some time (about five minutes) to firm up, then gently move them around with a wooden spoon to coat them with sauce and cook through.