Pancetta & Goat Cheese Pasta
This Pancetta & Goat Cheese Pasta is creamy, savory, and satisfying! It features crispy pancetta, a creamy parmesan wine sauce, sweet petite peas, and of course a sprinkling of crumbled soft goat cheese.
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340g) Short Pasta Variety (I used orecchiette)
- 1 cup Reserved Pasta Water
- 1 tsp Butter
- 150 g Pancetta, cubed small
- 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed or minced
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 cup White Wine
- 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/3 cup Crumbled Soft Goat Cheese
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then turn to medium-high heat. Add pasta into the pot and cook according to box time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large frying pan add butter and melt over medium heat. Add pancetta, and fry for about 5-6 minutes, or until the pancetta is golden in color and crispy. Remove pancetta from pan and place into a bowl for later. Discard all but 1 tbsp of rendered pancetta fat from the pan, then add in red pepper flakes and garlic cloves. Fry for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add wine to pan and use it to deglaze the pan, then cook wine until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add in heavy cream and peas. Cook until heavy cream has thickened slightly, about 4-5 minutes. (Sauce time = 15 minutes)
- Add cooked pasta and pancetta to the pan, and toss to combine with the sauce. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top of the pasta, and toss to combine. Add just enough pasta water, in small additions, until the sauce looks smooth and glossy, and coats the noodles well. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, then season with salt & pepper. Toss one last time before serving.
Notes
When making pasta, you must always determine if you should start the sauce first, start the pasta first, or start them simultaneously – depending on the cooking time of the pasta according to the box.
The goal is to have the pasta and the sauce to finish at the same time.