Pancetta

This is bacon, Italian-style. The major difference between pancetta and our bacon is that pancetta is cured rather than smoked. It is often shaped into a round or oval form that is then sliced. If a recipe calls for cubes, buy a thick slice of pancettta and dice it. You may freeze thick slices of pancetta, but use it as soon as it has defrosted. Our smoked bacon in classic preparations such as Spaghetti alla Carbonara does not do these dishes justice. However, if you absolutely cannot find pancetta or unsmoked bacon, boil smoked bacon for 2 minutes in a large pot of water to remove some of the smokiness. In Rome, by the way, the popular local version of pancetta is called guanciale.