How to Eat Pancetta

Pancetta adds a subtle salt undertone to Italian cuisine.

Pancetta is consumed as an ingredient that is cooked and prepared to top foods, such as salads or to flavor entrées. Pancetta is Italian bacon, sold pre-diced by a butcher or rolled similar to a sausage. Pancetta derives from pork belly and is prepared and cured in salt and spices for two to three months. Pancetta adds taste and texture to Italian dishes, such as minestra, risotto, pasta fagioli, ricotta pie, frittata and Utica greens, and pairs well with ingredients, such as eggs, escarole, spinach, cannellini beans, onions and garlic.

Things You'll Need

• Blender or serrated knife
• Skillet
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Spatula
• Hot or cold entree

Instructions

1. Chop the pancetta into fine pieces in your blender or with a serrated knife.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet. Add the pancetta and sauté it for two to three minutes, tossing with a spatula until golden brown and crispy on all sides.

3. Add and stir the pancetta into a broth, sauce, pie or greens, such as escarole, to eat warm.

4. Chill the pancetta in your refrigerator for 10 minutes and mix it in with pasta salad, antipasto or bean salad to consume it cold.

References

• O Chef: A Pancetta Primer
• Food Network: Rachael Ray's Minestra
• Colavita: Spinach and Pancetta Frittata

Resources

• Simply Recipes: Pancetta