I guess you could say I have been a bit obsessed with the delicious Italian recipes that Nancy Silverton has shared in the January issue of Food and Wine because this is the second one I am sharing with you.
The photo of this rustic pasta dish won me over the second I saw it. Not
only is it a pretty dish, the combination of simple ingredients create a
complexity of flavor that kept me from putting my fork down til I had
eaten the entire bowl!
Her recipe called for guanciale, which is
actually cured pork jowl, but pancetta can be easily substituted which
is what I chose to do. (You can even buy it already cut into the small dice called for in the recipe.)
The radicchio and red onions are cooked in the fat rendered from the pancetta which has been browned and crisped. Ms. Silverton uses a little-known pasta called calamarata, but any wide tubular pasta will work to catch the sauce. I found one at my local grocer called mezzi paccheri which you see above.
Pasta with Pancetta, Radicchio and Ricotta (serves 6)
(adapted from Nancy Silverton, Food and Wine, January, 2015)
Ingredients
½ pound short, wide tubular pasta
¼ cup extra- virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 medium red onions, cut into 8 wedges each
Kosher salt
6 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼ -inch dice
¾ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ small head of radicchio, torn into 2-inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese
¼ cup chopped walnuts (toasting is optional)
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile , in a large straight -sided skillet, heat the ¼ cup of olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt and toss to coat with the oil. Cook over high heat until the onions are just beginning to soften, about 1 minute.
Stir in ¾ cup of water and cook until the water is evaporated and the onions are just tender, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the pancetta and cook, stirring until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is lightly browned and crisp, about 7 minutes.
3. Carefully drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Stir in the pasta along with the pecorino, radicchio and the reserved pasta water.
Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until hot, about 1 minute. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and top with dollops of the ricotta.
Transfer the pasta to a large serving dish, sprinkle with the walnuts and top with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
