I bought some chilli pancetta on clearance and needed an excuse to use it.
I could have bought guanciale from my local Woolies and made something closer to a traditional Amatriciana, but guanciale is bloody expensive and the discounted pancetta was sitting right there.
So I went with what I had: chilli pancetta slowly rendered until crispy, canned tomatoes and high-protein penne. The pancetta brings plenty of salty, fatty flavour and already has some chilli in it, while the pasta water helps bring the rendered fat and tomato together into the sauce.
It’s definitely Amatriciana-inspired rather than traditional, but for an easy dinner made from a discounted ingredient, that’s completely fine with me.
Chilli Pancetta Tomato Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 375 g high-protein penne
- 250 G Chilli pancetta diced
- 400 g canned whole or crushed tomatoes
- ½ small onion finely diced, optional
- 1 –2 cloves garlic minced, optional
- ¼ –½ tsp chilli flakes only if the pancetta needs more heat
- Black pepper
- 50 Pecorino Romano finely grated
- Pasta water
- Salt only as needed
Method
- Put the pancetta into a cold pan, then bring it up to medium heat. Let the fat slowly render until the pancetta is browned and beginning to crisp.
- Remove some pancetta and reserve for the top if you want some crispy pieces at the end.
- If using onion, cook it gently in the rendered pancetta fat for 2–3 minutes. Add garlic for only the final 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes. Break them up if whole and simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Meanwhile, cook the high-protein penne until just under al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup pasta water.
- Transfer the pasta into the tomato sauce with about 100 ml pasta water.
- Toss over medium heat for another 1–2 minutes. The starch from the pasta and pasta water should emulsify with the rendered pancetta fat and tomato rather than leaving you with a watery tomato sauce.
- Turn the heat off and mix through most of the cheese. Add more pasta water if it becomes too tight.
- Taste before adding salt. Pancetta and Pecorino can already make this quite salty.
- Finish with black pepper, remaining cheese and the reserved crispy pancetta.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!More recipes to try
Cooked this recipe?
Sign in to post a short comment and photo as proof of your cook. Your contribution will be public on this recipe.
Sign in to add your cook
Leave a Reply