I love this very sexy dish. It’s a perfect Valentine’s Day meal or an any day meal. It’s creamy and comforting, and it takes me right back to beautiful, romantic Sicily. I think the black pepper in this dish is an absolute. The Italians don’t add cream, but it creates silkiness when combined with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. The taste is amazing. I’m a little heavy handed on the cheese in this recipe, but when in Rome or just pretending to be...add lot’s of cheese! A side salad is a perfect accompaniment. Enjoy!
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 pound of dry spaghetti pasta
2 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz pancetta rounds, diced (Or bacon if you don‘t have Pancetta)
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes, cut in julienne
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1¼ cup of heavy cream or half and half
2 eggs
1 nice handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper to taste
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garnish with parsley
Directions:
In a large pot of salted boiling water, add pasta and cook as per the directions on the box until it is al dente (or still has a slight bite to the pasta). Drain well and return to pot. Keep hot.
In a skillet on medium, heat olive oil and fry pancetta. Cook for 5 minutes until pancetta starts to brown. Stir in minced garlic and sun dried tomato; cook until tender for about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off excess fat if necessary. Pour in white wine and cook until reduced by half. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the cheese, heavy cream, eggs and parsley. Add in pancetta and sun dried tomato mixture. Mix well and add this mixture to the pot of spaghetti. Season with black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes or to your taste. Toss spaghetti well to combine all ingredients. Garnish and serve hot with rustic bread.
