Pancetta Pasta (Quick 4 Ingredient Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How long does pancetta take to cook? ›

in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Use it in recipes such as our spaghetti carbonara, or in a traditional Bolognese ragu. A little crisp-fried pancetta can add richness to a macaroni cheese or saltiness to a warm salad. Spaghetti carbonara is a super quick and easy pasta dish that's perfect for weeknight meals or special occasions.

What can I use instead of pancetta? Bacon is the best substitute for adding flavour to soups, stews, pasta and salads. For charcuterie or wrapping meats or poultry, prosciutto is your next best option.

Pancetta can be diced and crisped in a sauté pan. Many recipes call for adding a little oil to the pan first because it takes a minute for some of the fat to render out and the oil helps the pancetta not burn or scorch in the pan.

Often, people may overcook pancetta which can lead it to lose its distinct flavor and turn excessively crispy. This could be because of its visual similarity to bacon. To get the most out of pancetta, it should ideally be cooked lightly till it just begins to crisp around the edges.

Pancetta is dry-cured and fully aged, so it can be thinly sliced and eaten raw. You can also cook thin slices the same way you cook bacon in a pan if you want to eat alongside eggs with toast. Dicing and slowly rendering the fat out of it is a common way to start many recipes.

In Italy, pancetta is commonly served as a sliced meat, sliced thin and eaten raw. It can also be used in carbonara pasta (although guanciale is generally regarded as more traditional).

Thin strips make excellent wrappers for roasts and hors d'oeuvres like Jean-Georges Vongerichten's garlic-stuffed porcini mushrooms. Diced and pan-fried, pancetta gives extra interest to salads and veggie sides. Of course, it's superb with pasta, too, as in cheesy baked rigatoni or meaty Bolognese.

Pancetta — when made the traditional way in Italy with salts and spices and no nitrates or artificial preservatives — can be a healthier alternative to bacon because it's less processed and usually lower in fat and calories.

The culprit for pancetta's elevated price is the way that it's cured, which involves a long, multi-step process of brining, seasoning, and occasionally smoking. Luckily, there are a few cheaper alternatives out there that can play the same role in your dish, namely bacon, prosciutto, and salami.

What do Italians use instead of pancetta? ›

Prosciutto is cut from the hind leg of a pig and is salt-cured over the course of weeks or months. While prosciutto is a saltier product than pancetta, it has less fat and is considered by some to be the healthier option between the two.

Open the original pack only when you're going to use it, and then keep the pancetta wrapped or in a sealed container. Loose pancetta rashers should be tightly wrapped in greaseproof paper and kept in the fridge; they will last for up to three weeks.

Pancetta, which also originated in Italy, comes from the belly of the pig, and is more expensive than bacon or guanciale because the curing process is time-intensive.

Plus Italians love it, and they know delicious food! Pancetta's seasonings can change, but nutmeg, juniper and black pepper are pretty standard. I highly encourage you to change up the spices and adapt the recipe to your taste or to compliment the flavors of the dish you plan to use it in.

Can I eat pancetta raw? Absolutely. The curing process inhibits bacteria growth and makes Pancetta safe to eat. The end product is an aesthetically pleasing spiral of meat that is just as safe and even more delicious than cooked varieties of the same cut – we're looking at you, Bacon.

Pancetta is bacon, Italian style. It is cured, rather than cooked through a heating method, making it safe and ready to eat right from the package.

Once fully cured, the pancetta will happily keep for several weeks in the fridge. You'll need to source some pink salt, also known as instacure #1, which is a mixture of regular salt and sodium nitrate. This allows the meat to retain its pink colour when cooked.