Pepper, Pancetta, and Parsley Pasta Sauce

Name: Pepper, Pancetta, and Parsley Pasta Sauce (Sugo di Peperonl Pancetta, e Prezzemolo)
Yield: Enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta, making 4 large or 6 small servings
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: Salt; 2 large or 3 medium red bell peppers; 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon for tossing the pasta; ¾ pound pancetta, cut into very thin strips; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; ½ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, the whole leaves only; 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

Sugo di Peperonl Pancetta, e Prezzemolo

Preparation info

Enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta, making
4
large

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Marcella Cucina

By Marcella Hazan

Published 1997

About

The influence of small details on flavor can be disproportionately large. Two seemingly inconsequential steps are essential to its taste. The special aroma of the parsley is owed to the use of the whole leaves, without chopping. And the peppers’ flesh would not be quite so luscious if you failed to skin them before cooking them.

Ingredients

2 large or 3 medium red bell peppers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1

Method

Suggested Pasta

Although homemade noodles, particularly the broad ones known as pappardelle, go nicely with this sauce, I find that boxed dry pasta in the shape of fusilli makes the tastiest combination of all. A short tubular shape such as penne or maccheroncini also works well.