Giada De Laurentiis stands out as a true authority on pasta preparation.

The Italian-American chef dedicated more than two decades to sharing her go-to dishes via the Food Network. These days she directs attention to her food company Giadzy, offering genuine Italian goods along with her signature pasta selection.

Giadzy highlights several of De Laurentiis' own recipes. Her Bucatini All'Amatriciana paired with smoked mozzarella meatballs caught my eye right away.

"Amatriciana ranks among Rome's signature pasta preparations, and enjoying it always recalls my early years," De Laurentiis notes on the Giadzy site. "The meatballs provide an extra twist... filled with smoked mozzarella cheese, they never fail to please a crowd."

My relatives have long enjoyed spaghetti and meatballs. During a recent gathering I prepared this meal for everyone.

De Laurentiis' Bucatini All'Amatriciana includes pancetta, crushed tomatoes, and pecorino Romano cheese.

To prepare De Laurentiis' pasta serving six, gather these items:

1 pound bucatini pasta (the Giadzy variety works well, though any brand suffices)
1 14-ounce can tomatoes, crushed by hand
6 ounces pancetta, diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup pecorino Romano cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Additional supplies for the meatballs include ground beef, Italian-style breadcrumbs, and mozzarella.

De Laurentiis' meatballs call for:

8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground veal
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese (cut into 16 cubes, ½-inch each)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 small onion, grated
1 large egg
⅔ cup Parmesan cheese (plus ¼ cup)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley (plus ¼ cup)
⅓ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more for seasoning)

Note two adjustments for the meatballs: ground veal proved unavailable locally, so I substituted one pound of ground beef total.

Smoked mozzarella also proved hard to locate. I substituted smoked Gouda and fresh mozzarella, testing both options in the recipe.

Before forming the meatballs, I completed all necessary prep work.

I chopped and grated onions, minced garlic, and prepared parsley.

I also prepared the cheese...

Following De Laurentiis' guidance, I cut cheeses into roughly ½-inch cubes.

...and preheated the oven.

De Laurentiis advises placing the oven rack in the lower third and setting the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit before starting the meatballs.

Next I placed ground beef in a bowl and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

I incorporated breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, and ½ cup parsley as well.

I finished the meatball mixture with Parmesan cheese.

I added ⅔ cup Parmesan to the bowl.

I combined all ingredients, yielding 14 meatballs in total.

De Laurentiis' recipe produces 16 meatballs of 1 ½ inches diameter. My portions would have been undersized at 16, so I formed 14 instead.

I inserted a cheese cube into the center of each meatball.

Using my finger I created a small well in each ball, placed cheese inside, then reshaped to fully enclose it. Half the batch received smoked Gouda while the remainder used mozzarella.

I arranged the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and placed them in the oven.

De Laurentiis indicates 15 minutes for full cooking, yet my batch required seven additional minutes. Ovens vary, so monitor closely.

While the meatballs baked, I began the pasta sauce.

Traditional Amatriciana uses guanciale, but De Laurentiis opts for pancetta "since it is far simpler to source at most markets!"

After adding olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat, I introduced the pancetta and cooked it six minutes with constant stirring.

The pancetta is ready once it reaches a golden-brown color.

Using a slotted spoon I removed the pancetta before adding the onions.

The onions cooked for five minutes.

Then I added the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Everything cooked about 30 seconds until the garlic became aromatic.

I added the crushed tomatoes and returned the pancetta to the pan.

I seasoned with half a teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Next I allowed the sauce to simmer uncovered over medium-low heat.

De Laurentiis recommends simmering until thickened, approximately 15 minutes.

While the sauce simmered I cooked the pasta.

I brought a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and added the bucatini.

De Laurentiis suggests cooking until tender yet firm, roughly eight to 10 minutes depending on the stove.

Once the sauce finished simmering I stirred in the cheese.

I mixed in the Parmesan along with another pinch of salt and black pepper, then removed the pan from heat.

When the pasta finished I drained the noodles and combined them with the sauce.

I tossed thoroughly to coat the noodles, transferred everything to a serving bowl, and topped with the meatballs plus remaining parsley and pecorino Romano cheese.