This version of a classic Italian pasta dish is prepared with prosciutto, as was often done in Italian-American restaurants. For a more traditional version, substitute 6 ounces of guanciale (cured pork-cheek bacon) or regular bacon cut into 1/4-inch strips for the prosciutto. Cook the guanciale or bacon in the skillet with the olive oil before adding the onion. Cook until lightly browned but still soft, about 4 minutes for the guanciale or 2 minutes for the bacon. Then add the onion and continue with the recipe as below.
Cooks' Note
To open plastic packages of long pastas, like perciatelli, spaghetti, linguine, or vermicelli, hold them firmly around the center and give one end of the package a good whack on a firm surface.
