Looking for a pasta that tastes like summer in Southern Italy? Meet Spaghetti alla Jonica—a bold, fragrant dish that some might call the Amatriciana Calabrese, but we think it deserves its own name.
In this recipe, crispy guanciale meets roasted red pepper and sweet tomatoes for a sauce that’s smoky, rich, and unforgettable. Finished with pecorino, fresh basil, and a touch of garlic, this pasta brings together the flavors of sun, sea, and a little Southern heat.
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Pasta with Red Pepper Pasta Sauce (Spaghetti alla Jonica): the video recipe!
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Why This Red Pepper Pasta Sauce is Perfect for Summer
Jonica—a famous Calabrese pasta with red pepper sauce—uses fresh seasonal ingredients to create a unforgettable sauce!
- Fresh red pepper is the secret sweet ingredient in this sauce
- Fresh tomatoes for brightness and moisture
- Aged pecorino for that salty tang
What You’ll Need
- Fresh Basil: about a handful
- Ripe Tomatoes: We recommend datterini or San Marzano, but any sweet, ripe tomato works. You’ll peel and seed them to use just the pulp. Alternatively, make your own sweet purée by blending canned San Marzano tomatoes (excess water and seeds removed)ˆ
- Sweet Red Pepper: You can simply remove the skin by boiling the pepper, but we recommend roasting the pepper for the best flavor. Use one of the methods we share below!
- Fresh Garlic
- Pecorino Cheese: Just like Amatriciana, Pasta alla Jonica is finished with pecorino cheese
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use the good stuff. Since the oil isn’t cooked, its flavor really matters.
- Pasta: Spaghetti is the pasta of choice
Prepping the Red Pepper: 4 Ways to Cook or Roast It
The secret to the Jonica sauce’s depth lies in the roasted red pepper. You can prep it in any of these ways—just make sure to remove the skin for a smooth, silky texture.
Char Over a Gas Flame (Shown in the Video)
Place the whole red pepper directly on a gas flame, turning with tongs until the skin is blackened and blistered all over. Then, wrap the pepper in foil or place in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin.
Oven-Roasted (Classic Method)
Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F. Place the whole pepper on a tray and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning occasionally, until skin blisters. Let it steam in a covered bowl or foil before peeling.
Boiling Method (Quick and Clean)
Boil the whole pepper in water for 5 minutes until soft. Let cool slightly, then peel off the loosened skin. This method is gentler but less smoky.
Air Fryer Method (Fast & Convenient)
Place the whole pepper in the air fryer at 200°C / 390°F for 20 minutes, turning once. Let it steam in a bowl or in the closed air fryer before peeling. Great for hot days when you don’t want to use the oven!
Once peeled, remove the seeds and slice the pepper into thin strips or dice, depending on your texture preference.
How to Make Spaghetti alla Jonica
Prepare the Tomatoes: Blanch and peel the datterini and San Marzano tomatoes, then chop or crush them. You can also use good-quality canned peeled tomatoes if fresh ones aren’t available. Purée the tomatoes with the roasted red pepper.
Cook the Guanciale: In a large pan (no oil yet!), cook the guanciale over medium heat until golden and crispy. Decide your camp: – Add a little olive oil if you prefer a saucier base (like in the Amatrice cookbook) – Or let the guanciale fat do all the work, as Gricia purists might suggest
Build the Sauce: Add whole smashed garlic to the rendered guanciale fat and sauté briefly. When the garlic turns golden, remove it and add the tomato sauce along with a few pinches of salt. Simmer everything for 15–20 minutes.
Cook the Pasta: Boil the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
Combine: Toss the spaghetti into the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water if needed to help everything bind. Turn off the heat and add pecorino cheese and fresh basil. Stir to combine.
Serve Immediately: Top with a bit more pecorino and basil if you like. No need for extra oil—this sauce speaks for itself!
Is It Really Amatriciana?
Some say this is just Amatriciana with a Calabrian twist. We say: it’s something new. Spaghetti alla Jonica deserves its own spotlight, bringing together Italy’s most iconic cured pork with the sweetness of roasted red pepper.
Want More Pasta Recipes?
Try the classic Spaghetti Amatriciana or explore Flavia’s Italian recipe series on YouTube. And don’t forget to check out our best pasta cookbook for beginners Pasta Affair for more authentic Italian dishes straight from our kitchen in Italy!
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Pasta with Red Pepper Pasta Sauce: Spaghetti alla Jonica
Ingredients
- 500 g datterini tomatoes or plum or cherry tomatoes
- 300 g San Marzano tomatoes
- 500 g red bell pepper about 1 large
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200 g guanciale
- 100 g Pecorino cheese
- olive oil only if the guanciale doesn't produce enough fat after frying to sauté the garlic
- 3 pinches fine salt or to taste
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 320 g spaghetti
Instructions
Boil or Roast the Red Pepper
- Boil or roast the sweet red pepper to cook it and remove the skin of the pepper. We recommend roasting the pepper for best flavor (gas stovetop, oven or air fryer). See the article above for pepper roasting details.
- Cover the cooked pepper and let it steam for 10 minutes before removing the pepper skin. Removing the skin will be super easy!
Purée the Tomatoes and Roasted Red Pepper
- Score, blanch and peel the datterini and San Marzano tomatoes. You can also use good-quality canned peeled tomatoes if fresh ones aren’t available. Just be sure to remove the excess water and seeds from the canned tomatoes before the purée.
- Purée the peeled tomatoes with the roasted red pepper.
Cook the Guanciale
- In a large pan (no oil yet!), cook the guanciale over medium heat until golden and crispy. If the guanciale does not produce enough fat to sauté the garlic, add a little olive oil. However, guanciale is quite fatty and should render plenty of fat.
Make the Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
- Add whole smashed garlic to the rendered guanciale fat and sauté briefly. When the garlic turns golden, remove it. Its work is done!
- Then add the tomato/pepper purée to the fat along with a few pinches of salt. Simmer everything for about 10 minutes. In the meantime…
Finish with Pasta
- Boil the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Toss the spaghetti into the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water if needed to help everything bind. Turn off the heat and add pecorino cheese and fresh basil. Stir to combine.
- Serve Immediately! Top with a bit more pecorino and basil if you like.
Se quelli erano Datterini io sono George Clooney in infradito! 😂😂😂 ( cmq interessante ispirazione sta Amatriciana peperonata)
Original comment: View on YouTube
If you mix San Marzano tomatoes and fresh, is the flavour of the fresh tomatoes hidden or lost in the stronger San Marzano 🤔The sweetness of the pepper will try in other red sauces too 👌🙏🏻Delicious as always and especially the cheeky shots of the “pomodori freschi” 😉
Original comment: View on YouTube
Πολύ ενδιαφέρον! Θα ήθελα να δω συνταγές με ασπρες σάλτσες. Gracie ❤
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5:21 Sinceramente quando si lavora con il guanciale, non vedo nessuna necessità di aggiungere anche dell’olio, come se il guanciale non ne tirasse fuori abbastanza.
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Super saporita ottima ricetta mi piace il modo veloce di fiammeggiare il peperone non ci avevo mai pensato ok altra ricetta da rifare brava mi piace il tuo modo di cucinare e di spiegare per me sei la più forte ciao Flavia
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Favolosa peperone e guanciale legano perfettamente I peperoni anche io li arrostisco con la fiamma lo facevano mamma e zia Sei bravissima e bella
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Non credo che con il gas uscirà una cosa degna da mangiare
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Sembra sfiziosa. La proverò. Brava Flavia come sempre.🔝😍. Io appartengo al PRO GRASSO…Mai olio in padella con guanciale. Sottoscrivo in pieno la cottura eseguita dalla superlativa Flavia ;).
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