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Penne with Pancetta and Fresh Tomatoes

   

Pancetta and Sausage Pasta1 Family was over and we went into the city to watch the Christmas spectacular. The show was fabulous as usual. We walked around and had a late lunch afterwards. The kids had a ball at Max Brenner restaurant. He is known as the bald man who serves loads of chocolate in every form at his restaurants. The food was delicious and the treats were over sweet yet yummy.

We came back exhausted and after a little while I had to think about dinner. The idea of going out for another meal was not appealing at all. I gave leftovers to the kids but didn’t have enough for the adults.

I looked in my fridge and pantry and came up with this pasta dish. I always have at least a pint of cherry tomatoes- perfect for a quick, fresh tomato sauce. I also have chicken sausages and pancetta from Trader Joes sitting in my fridge. I came up with this dish while using all the delicious ingredients I found in my pantry.

While the tomatoes were cooking and turning soft and delicious, I made a quick salad dressing by squeezing some clementines and lemon juice. I drizzled some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper- done! It was easy and delicious. I had a bag of arugula in the fridge- which is perfect for salads. I made nice looking peels out of my Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (with a vegetable grater) for the top and there you have it- a wonderful tasting salad.

I finished the pasta with the same beautiful cheese peels and we washed the yummy food down with some nice wine. It was a quick delicious meal- perfect for any weeknight!

  • ¼ cup chopped pancetta
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 chicken sausages (I used spinach and fontina cheese)-cut into ¼ inch pieces
  • ½ pound penne, cooked al dente and ½ cup pasta water saved
  • Parmigiano reggiano cheese shavings

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the pancetta. Saute on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook on low heat, covered for at least 20 to 25 minutes. The tomatoes should begin to get soft and burst. Mash them down with a wooden spatula. Add the cut up sausages and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Mix well, taste for seasonings. Serve with ribbon of parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Pancetta and Sausage Pasta