New York Times recipe sparks debate over Amatriciana substitution

The New York Times has sparked a culinary debate after publishing a recipe titled ‘Pasta Amatriciana... But With Smoky Chorizo’. Food writer and recipe developer Kevin Pang created the version, substituting the traditional Italian guanciale with Spanish chorizo.

Pang explained that the substitution arose from the difficulty of finding high-quality guanciale in the United States. The recipe is part of a project focused on feeding a family on a limited daily budget. While Pang noted the dish is not intended to be an authentic version of the Roman classic, the use of the name ‘Amatriciana’ has drawn significant criticism from culinary purists.

Critics on social media have argued that the substitution fundamentally changes the identity of the dish and suggested that it should be given a different name to respect Italian culinary traditions.