You will LOVE this recipe from Donna Hay, which combines pancetta with pasta and porcini mushrooms and is a perfect, light summer meal served with an Italian salad.
The recipe was so easy, I put it together in under 30 minutes.
I used the Panko bread crumbs and love the flavor of a little bead mixed with the porcini mushrooms. Just the right amount of chilli flakes gives it a zip.
The appearance is really striking. Mine was a bit messy because I used a little bit thicker spaghetti than Donna. I am all about using up.
The porcini mushrooms were a little pricy but I didn’t use but a few and they will keep up to 3 years in a zip lock bag kept in the refrigerator.
Bon Appetit!
4 slices bread, roughly chopped (or a cup of Panko bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
8 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup pancetta, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp crushed sage leaves
Lemon wedges and finely grated parmesan, to serve
Place the bread, chilli, porcini and garlic in the bowl of a food processor, and process until a coarse crumb mixture forms.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 8-12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside. Keep warm.
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and stir until melted. Add the crumb mixture and sage and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Return the pancetta to the pan. Add the pasta and toss to combine. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and sprinkle with parmesan. Serves 4.