This recipe is based on one of my favourite dishes from my local Italian restaurant. It’s a powerhouse of a dish, with a creamy, cheesy sauce and salty pancetta. Topped with plentiful Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper, and it’s an absolute dream.
I’ve added broccoli to my version – it goes beautifully well with the sauce and adds a bit of fresh greenery.
It’s one of those meals where you eat your gorgeous bowlful of pasta and immediately feel comforted. It’s like a hug.
The Ingredients
This dish uses smoky pancetta – an absolute necessity here. Although you could switch for smoky bacon, it won’t quite be the same. Do try to use a good high quality pancetta if you can get it.
Next up is the dolcelatte. Dolcelatte is a soft, blue Italian cheese. It’s very mild in flavour, not like a Stilton or other strong blue cheese- it’s more like a creamy mild goats cheese. It works beautifully in this dish, offering just a light undertone of creaminess and saltiness. You could substitute it with a soft goats cheese, if you like.
I’ve used tender stem broccoli in this dish. It’s not something that is used in the dish I based it on, but I did love it here. In all honesty, I just wanted to add some veg to my evening meal, and this was perfect. I always find tender stem broccoli a little luxurious- it’s a sweeter, smarter version of standard broccoli. The great benefit here is that it cooks so quickly, ensuring that this meal is ready in just 10 minutes.
Next up, rigatoni. Now, I used rigatoni simply because that’s what the restaurant uses! It works, but you could easily sub for some penne if that’s easier for you to get hold of.
I hope you enjoy this easy, quick yet delightful dish. It’s ready in the time it takes for the pasta to cook – making it perfect for those weeknights when you have little time but still want something special.
This recipe serves 4.
Pancetta, Broccoli and Dolcelatte Rigatoni
January 23, 2024Ingredients
- 100 g diced pancetta
- 1 onion, diced
- 200 g tender stem broccoli
- 100 g Dolcelatte
- 100 ml creme fraiche
- 300 g rigatoni
Instructions
- First, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add your pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes until al dente.
- Put a wide based pan on a medium heat. Add your pancetta and cook for 1 minutes, then add the onion. Cook for another 3 minutes until the pancetta is golden.
- Cut the broccoli into 2cm chunks and add to the pan. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add a dash of water to the pan, then stir in the crème fraiche and dolcelatte. Turn the heat down to low and cook gently, stirring often for 5 more minutes.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain and retain 1 mugful of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce and enough water to make it mix together nicely.
- Serve immediately, topped with black pepper and Parmesan.
Nutrition
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