Tag: pancetta
Roast Lamb
This is an amazing roast to make for the holidays. We originally had it in Spello, Umbria. A friendly woman named Paula made it for us. I watched her make it step by step and replicated it at home.
I realized the ingredients make an amazing difference. The Italian vegetables and meats are amazingly fresh and taste so different. I tried my best to buy the most local and fresh ingredients I could find including using herbs from my garden.
The key is to use a lamb shoulder which can be roasted several hours in the oven. If you prefer a lamb leg, make sure you don’t over cook it.
It is perfect for Christmas. I made it with a white bean ragu, a big green salad and a huge tray of tiramisu. How can you go wrong with that??
- One 5 pound lamb shoulder roast
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta
- ¼ cup chopped pork fat
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage
- ¼ cup fennel frawns
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Process the pancetta, pork fat, rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel frawns and garlic cloves in a food processor until smooth. Keep aside.
Place the roast in a roasting pan and spread the pancetta mixture on the lamb roast- you can use all of it or save some for roast vegetables to be served on the side. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups chicken broth at the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Bring the heat down to 350 degrees and roast for another 45 minutes- till the meat is tender and soft.
Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta and Feta
This recipe is a play on the popular warm spinach salad. It is typically made with bacon. You start off by cooking some bacon down; taking the bits out and using the warm fat for salad dressing.
I used pancetta instead of bacon; rendered it and kept it aside. A mixture of dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and apple cider make a delicious dressing. To make it interesting, I added crumbles of salty feta cheese. I am a big fan of this cheese- I love salty cheese, and this one is as salty as they come. It provides an amazing punch of flavor. The good thing is you don’t need a whole lot of it and it is naturally lower in fat than other cheeses.
The salad turned out delicious- it was a great start to the meal, especially since it continued with the yummy meatballs…
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Place the spinach and cheese into a medium salad bowl. Keep aside.
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a small frying pan and add the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly till the pancetta bits are crispy. With a slotted spoon, take out the pancetta and keep aside. Keep the flame to medium and add the shallot. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and apple cider. Whisk in the mustard and add salt and pepper if needed.
Pour over the baby spinach, toss and serve.
Hoppin John- A New Year’s Eve Tradition
I was doing an article for the patch for New Years. My editor told me something about a tradition in the South called Hoppin John. I had never heard to the dish or the tradition and decided to do some research.
Turns out it is a dish made with rice and beans. It is to be eaten at midnight, New Year’s eve to bring good luck. The idea is to eat poor that night and eat rich the rest of the year.
Sounded good to me. As I read a bit more, I noticed it is usually made with some pork product and is served with some Southern style greens. I started thinking and decided to make mine with pancetta. I added some onions, garlic and green peppers to that. I also added dried thyme and made it mine by adding- yes, you guessed it- smoked paprika. I sauteed the mixture and added a can of black eyed peas, the rice and chicken broth. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added a lot of baby spinach.
I decided to make this into a one pot meal and healthy. Since traditionally the dish is served with greens, I decided to add mine right into the rice and beans.
The result was a delicious and quick comforting dish. Definitely make this for New Year’s Eve to ensure good luck for the rest of the Year- and Happy New Year to you and your family!
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 1/2 ounce can of black eyed peas
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces baby spinach
Heat a saucepan with the pancetta and olive oil. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, onion, garlic and green pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and mix well. Add the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan half way. Simmer for 10 minutes and cover all the way and lower the heat. Cook for another ten minutes and turn the heat off. Let it sit for ten minutes and add the spinach, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.
Apple & Kale Salad with Pancetta Dressing
I was watching the Cooking Channel and came across this recipe. Well, not exactly the same one but something similar. The original was made with pears and was served over lettuce greens. I decided to change it up a bit and use up some end of the summer nectarines instead. Since summer fruit is now gone, feel free to use apples or pears. Either way this salad is delicious!!
- 4 cups baby kale
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 2 medium apples , sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a medium frying pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Take the pancetta out with a slotted spoon. Add one tablespoon olive oil, apple slices, honey and balsamic vinegar. Cook on medium heat while stirring gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Take the apple slices out with a slotted spoon. Add the mustard, vinegar, remaining olive oil, honey and almonds. Using a whisk, stir vigorously to emulsify the dressing. Add salt and pepper. Taste for seasonings.
Add the greens to a salad bowl. Add the nectarines, rendered pancetta and the warm dressing. Toss and serve.
Pancetta and Balsamic Roast Chicken
This is a delicious way to make a one pot meal. It all goes into a big roasting pan and you are done! I started with leg quarters- if I am not roasting a whole chicken, I like to cook leg quarters. Dark meat has a lot of flavor and is very forgiving as it doesn’t over cook.
When using very few ingredients, it is important to use very bold flavors. In this case, I used garlic, pancetta and balsamic glaze. I cooked the pancetta and then mixed it with the garlic, thyme and the glaze. I then slathered the chicken with the yummy mixture and roasted it.
To make things more interesting, I lined the roasting pan with slices of delicious sour dough bread and some potatoes. The potatoes and the bread come out deliciously crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I especially love the bread- all the flavors absorb really well.
I served this delicious meal with a green salad and a delicious glass of red wine. I love simple, delicious food with very good quality ingredients!
- 4 leg quarters with skin
- 6 to 8 slices of sour dough bread
- 4 to 5 small potatoes, peeled and cut in half
- Salt
Marinade
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Cook the pancetta in a hot frying pan until the fat is rendered on medium heat- it should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and take out in a bowl.
Pound the garlic, salt and thyme in a mortar and pestle till smooth. Add the olive oil and balsamic glaze. Mix well and add to the cooked pancetta. Mix well and keep aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the bread slices in a medium, lined baking sheet (9X13). Smear some of the marinade on the bread. Add the chicken quarters and the potatoes. Rub the marinade all over covering all the surfaces. Sprinkle salt generously all over. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and finish roasting till the chicken is done. Serve a piece of the chicken on top of the cooked bread with potatoes on the side.
Tuscan Style Cannellini Beans and Tomato Ragu
This ragu is delicious and very easy to make. I decided to make it dried beans and soaked them overnight, but you can definitely make them with the canned variety. The dried beans give the dish a bit more depth of flavor but the canned ones are very comparable.
I started with pancetta, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. I got fresh herbs from my backyard including rosemary, thyme and sage. I always buy San Marzano tomatoes which are special ones grown in Italy and have an amazing flavor. Some white wine and chicken broth later, I had a start to a very delicious stew. I let it cook for a couple of hours. The good thing about this dish is you can make it in advance. In fact it will taste better the next day as all the flavors will have a chance to marry.
Make this ragu with the lamb roast and have a wonderful holiday.
read more …
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Basil Cream
Okay, how many of you don’t like brussels sprouts? I know a lot of people who don’t and are not willing to try them. I personally love them and think that if you don’t like them- it means you haven’t eaten the right dish.
This is the dish you need to try if you are not a fan of brussels sprouts.
We cook them for Thanksgiving every year. I like them a lot and always wonder why I don’t make them more often.
This recipe I came up with, is similar to what we have been eating on Thanksgiving for a few years now. We come up with a new menu every year but end up making the same brussels sprouts.
I wasn’t able to find the exact recipe so I came up with this dish from my memory. It is very simple to make and it can be done in two steps- making it easy for the big meal. I first roasted them- it takes all of 20 minutes to do.
I then made a mixture of garlic, pancetta, walnuts and cream. I cooked the sauce for a few minutes and then added the roasted brussels sprouts. At the very end, right before serving- I sprinkled fresh basil.
This will be the best brussels sprout dish you will ever have- really, I mean it. Please try it, even if they are not your favorite.
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, cut in half if they are large and the first layer taken off
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Will serve 4 people. Recipe can be doubled.
Place the brussel sprouts on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with fingers and roast till the sprouts are golden brown and soft- about 20 minutes. At this point, they can be taken out and cooled off and refrigerated up to overnight. The next steps can be done the next day right before serving.
- 1/3 cup diced pancetta
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup cream
- 1 cup basil chopped
In a large frying pan, heat the pancetta and add the olive oil. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the walnuts and garlic and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cream and the brussel sprouts and mix well. Saute on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and add the chopped basil- right before serving.