Pasta a la Jade
I made this recipe throughout my college years in Brazil and used it in a competition that I did not win – but the experience was still worthy, and the results were amazing. It is a pasta dish from two regions of Italy; Milan and Tuscany.
Milan is where the gremolata came from, which is parsley, garlic, lemon and lime zest (a very fresh final), & Tuscany inspired me to use the “battuto” (minced ingredients) and sofritto, AKA the “holy trinity” because it basically only calls for onions, carrots, and celery
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 people 1x
Ingredients
250gm Pasta (Tagliatelle, Fettuccine or Spaghetti)
150 g Guanciale or Bacon (cut into thin strips)
For the Gremolata
- 1 small bunch Parsley
- 1 clove Garlic
- Zest of 1 Lime
- Zest of 1 Lemon
For the Batutto/Sofritto
- ½ cup Onion (diced)
- 1/2 Carrot (diced)
- 1/2 Celery (diced / you can also use green bell pepper)
- 50 ml Olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Cooking the Pasta:
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add coarse salt.
- Cook your pasta for 7-9 minutes.
Making the Gremolata
- Finely chop the parsley and the garlic and add to a bowl.
- Mix in the zest of lime and lemon and combine the gremolata well.
Cooking the Guanciale/Bacon:
- Add the bacon to a cold pan. This will help render the fat evenly and for the bacon to get crispy!
- Cook it until the guanciale is super crispy.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside.
Cooking the Sofritto
- In a hot pan, add olive oil followed by the diced vegetables.
- Continue cooking over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown and fully cooked.
- Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Bringing the dish together
- In a hot pan, combine the crispy bacon and your sofritto.
- Combine together and heat well.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix well to coat the pasta.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the olive oil. Transfer the pasta to a plate.
- Top the pasta with your freshly made gremolata and cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Usually, I take the pasta out 2 minutes before it says on the package because you will be cooking it again when you bring the pasta with the sofritto and bacon.
- A glass of good wine is always great with this recipe. Before, during and after.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Method: Blanching and Frying
- Cuisine: Italian