A quick and delicious pasta recipe using only three ingredients! Olive oil , pancetta and pasta is all that you need to make this super tasty dish. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
At its simplest, this recipe only uses three ingredients – olive oil , pancetta and pasta. This is a recipe you need to have for those evenings when you don’t know what to cook or when you simply don’t have time to cook.
This Pasta with Pancetta is what I like to make when we arrive home after a long journey or holiday, and when I need to make a satisfying dinner from what I already have in the kitchen and pantry.
I typically always have a few blocks of pancetta in the fridge or freezer, and we always have a steady supply of spaghetti in the pantry. Which means that dinner will usually be ready in the time that it takes me to cook the pasta.
What I love about this pasta recipe is that it is so simple. The pancetta is cooked and rendered in olive oil , which in turn adds a delicious salty, bacony flavour to the oil, which is later used to effectively dress the pasta.
It is similar to a Pasta alla Gricia, which also starts with pancetta or Guanciale cooked in olive oil . But whilst Pasta alla Gricia involves transforming the bacon juices into a pasta sauce from the pasta water and grated cheese, this Pasta with Pancetta is even more pared back; the “sauce” is the bacony olive oil , and there is no cheese in this dish.
Pancetta, Bacon or Guanciale
Pancetta is Italian cured pork belly, whilst bacon is cured and smoked pork belly. You could substitute the bacon for pancetta in this recipe, but the flavour will be somewhat different. The bacon will still be delicious, but I recommend using a thick cut bacon which you can slice into thick batons or dice for this recipe.
Guanciale is Italian cured pork jowl or cheeks. Guanciale is more fatty than pancetta, so you will find that it will render a lot more fat upon cooking. It has a distinctly different flavour and aroma to pancetta, but it also works well in this recipe.
Pasta with Pancetta Recipe
This recipe started out as Nigella Lawson’s Linguine with Pancetta, many many years ago when I was a poor university student trying to cook with as few ingredients as possible. Back then, pancetta was only available at the Italian deli next to my local supermarket, so I considered it a treat whenever I wanted to make this dish.
Fast forward a few decades, and I still make this pasta dish regularly and fondly.
Thankfully, pancetta is readily available here in Switzerland; it was almost non-existent in Australia in the early 2000’s, but maybe things have changed now?
I remain quite faithful to Nigella’s original recipe, although I can be even more lazy and use regular olive oil instead of her suggested garlic-infused oil. And as I try to limit the varieties of pasta in my home, we eat this more often with spaghetti than with linguine.
What Is Pancetta And What Does It Taste Like?
FAQ
How do Italians eat pancetta?
How do you serve pancetta?
Is pancetta healthier than bacon?
Does pancetta taste like bacon?
What goes well with pancetta?
A hint of sage, shreds of grated Pecorino, and chopped pancetta round out the dish. Roasted with briny olives and chunks of pancetta, the garlicky meat stays moist in a shallow bath of white wine. Combine ground beef, ground veal, and pancetta with red wine, milk, and aromatics for the meat sauce of your dreams.
What is a good dressing for pancetta?
A simple dressing of sauteed spinach in butter and sherry vinegar and crispy bits of pancetta will do just fine. 3. Creamy Pancetta Pasta del Maresciallo Don’t let its foreign name intimidate you! Pasta del Maresciallo is nothing but a humble Italian pasta dish that uses a creamy tomato sauce for its dressing. WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Can you use pancetta in a sandwich?
Sure, you may not see pancetta and eggs on the menu at your local diner and you may not think to use it in a sandwich — but that doesn’t mean pancetta can’t do those things. In fact, you can (and should) be using pancetta in your cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and these recipes prove it! Bored of chicken? Tired of sausage?
What to eat with collard greens & pancetta?
A classic southern recipe, collard greens and Italian pancetta are a match made in heaven. Hearty and delicious, this side dish is a definite crowd-pleaser. Give your ordinary quiche recipe a flavorful twist by adding hearty spinach and savory pancetta. This winning combo is a guaranteed hit. Gnocchi is already such a cozy, comforting dish.