Happy Days with the Naked Chef
Ingredients
8 slices of pancetta or dry-cured smoked streaky bacon, preferably free-range or organic
1 handful of fresh rosemary, thyme or summer savory, leaves picked
a good knob of butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 parsnips, peeled, halved and finely sliced lengthways
455g dried tagliatelle
1 good handful of grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Method
Who'd have thought these two would make such great friends? And pasta is just the start…
- Parsnip and pancetta together are slightly unusual but make a bloody good combo. Since discovering how well they work I've been using them in soups, risottos, roasts and casseroles.
- In a large, non-stick frying pan, fry your pancetta and herbs in the olive oil for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and parsnips. Cook for a further 3 minutes on a medium heat, until the pancetta is slightly golden and the parsnips have softened nicely. Cook your tagliatelle in salted boiling water according to packet instructions, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Mix the pasta with the parsnips and pancetta and stir in the butter and the Parmesan, adding a little of the cooking water to loosen the mixture and make it creamy and shiny. Season to taste.
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