Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Pappardelle with Pancetta and Lentils

Presto Pasta Nights has reached the big 200 and this week Helen from Fuss Free Flavours is hosting. Many congratulations to Ruth for having created such a fabulous event and for her ongoing management - I look forward to the next 200 and beyond!

This week I thought I'd use on of my favourite types of pasta - pappardelle.

pappardelleĀ© by Haalo


I'll be making a dish from my mother's region of Emiglia-Romagna - Pappardelle with pancetta and lentils. It may seem odd combining pasta and a legume but you see it quite frequently in Italian cuisine. If I was being more authentic I'd use lardo but it's difficult to source so I've substituted pancetta. Another change is that I'm using Australian black lentils.

pappardelle with pancetta and lentilsĀ© by Haalo


Pappardelle with Pancetta and Lentils

Pappardelle
100 grams pancetta, cut into lardons
1 cup black lentils
parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved


Cook the lentils:
If you are looking for a quicker option, you could use canned lentils instead.
These cooking instructions only apply to these specific Australian Black Lentils.
Place a pot of water to boil and when boiling add the lentils. Stir and remove from the heat. Cover and let it stand for about 15 minutes.

Cook the pancetta:
Place a non-stick skillet over a medium heat - when heated, add in the pancetta and cook until browned. There's enough fat in the pancetta for it to easily brown, there's no need to add any oil or butter initially.

Once the pancetta is golden and crisp, turn down the heat and add the lentils - stir and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle. Finish off with a tablespoon of butter and a handful of chopped parsley - the butter adds a gloss to the lentils.

To finish:
Add the cooked, drained pasta to the lentil mixture, along with some finely shaved parmesan - toss this well and tumble out onto a serving bowl. Finish with extra parmesan and parsley if desired.

pappardelle with pancetta and lentilsĀ© by Haalo

6 comments

  1. I just had a craving for pancetta and bought a ton so this tasty treat is very timely. Thanks so much for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights 200 and for being such a great supporter from the beginning.

    March 4th is the big 4th birthday bash, hope to see you then... and before that too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks so delicious, and so simple!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks delicious and wholesome! Pappardelle is my bf's favourite pasta so I might have to make this one for him soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your beautiful photos make it look so appetizing. I've never done this combination before, and am now looking forward to trying it, though I'll probably use a bit of the guanciale that's curing, instead of pancetta.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Ruth - you can count me in for the 4th, I wouldn't miss!

    Thanks Muppy!

    Thanks Forager - it is simple but the flavour is all there

    Thanks Food Hunter!

    Thanks Claudia - guanciale would be fabulous. I'd be happy just eating the lentils sauteed with guanciale ;)

    ReplyDelete

© Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once | All rights reserved.
BLOG TEMPLATE HANDCRAFTED BY pipdig