Pasta with bacon and cream of courgettes
Paccheri with bacon, creamed zucchini, pistachios, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan is a dish sent to us by our reader Luigi Ferola.
Ingredients · Servings 4 persone
- 400 g paccheri
- 200 g pomodorini colorati
- 150 g guanciale
- 50 g pistacchi salati
- 2 zucchine medie
- basilico
- prezzemolo
- timo
- parmigiano reggiano
- olio extravergine d’oliva
- sale
- pepe
Method · 35 minuti
- Tagliate le zucchine a rondelle e cuocetele in una padella con un filo di olio, finché non saranno morbide; frullatele con un filo di olio, regolando di sale e di pepe, finché non otterrete una crema liscia.
- Tagliate il guanciale a cubetti e rosolatelo in una padella finché non sarà croccante.
- Cuocete i paccheri in abbondante acqua bollente salata secondo i tempi riportati sulla confezione.
- Tagliate i pomodorini a metà e conditeli con olio, sale, pepe e le erbe aromatiche tritate.
- Mescolate bene i paccheri con la crema di zucchine e il guanciale croccante; unite anche i pomodorini e i pistacchi tritati grossolanamente.
- Distribuite i paccheri nei piatti, completate con scaglie di parmigiano e qualche fogliolina di erbe aromatiche.
What kind of pasta can I make with guanciale? A reader's recipe.
"In my family, every meal has always been a moment of sharing and love," Luigi wrote. "This recipe is a tribute to my homeland and the flavors that have accompanied me since childhood. The idea of combining crispy guanciale with creamed zucchini in this pasta came to me during a walk in the zucchini fields near my home. The salted pistachios add a crunchy and flavorful note, while the cherry tomatoes add freshness and vivacity to the dish. The aromatic herbs, picked directly from my garden, complete the dish with a touch of fragrance and authenticity."
Procedure
- Step 1: Slice the zucchini into rounds and cook them in a pan with a drizzle of oil until soft; blend them with a drizzle of oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, until you obtain a smooth cream. Step 2: Dice the guanciale and brown it in a pan until crispy. Step 3: Cook the paccheri in plenty of boiling salted water according to the cooking time indicated on the package. Step 4: Halve the cherry tomatoes and season with oil, salt, pepper, and the chopped herbs. Step 5: Mix the paccheri well with the zucchini cream and crispy guanciale; also add the cherry tomatoes and coarsely chopped pistachios. Step 6: Divide the paccheri among the plates, garnish with shavings of Parmesan cheese and a few leaves of aromatic herbs.
