Add punch and flavor to recipes with a diced ingredient: which one is it?

Autumn is the season to be a little more daring, rediscover the most flavorful ingredients, enhance the succulence of even the simplest recipes, and start spending longer around the table with family or friends. And so food becomes a reassuring treat, a reason to celebrate, to rejoice together, to reconnect.

We're happy to turn the oven back on, our appetites are reawakened, and we're back to wanting to eat more indulgently: experimenting with new preparations, creating tasty combinations, or giving even everyday dishes a special twist.

A clever idea we've tried in our recipe, which you can find at the bottom of the page, is to add a few cubes of Negroni smoked pancetta to give character to more classic dishes, like our gnudi, risotto, or pasta, but also to more innovative ones, like a pan-fried shrimp or calamari.

Diced bacon? The perfect ingredients!

From a gastronomic point of view**, Negroni's smoked pancetta cubes are valid, versatile and practical to use**: this is why they should be kept in the refrigerator.

They're already cut to the perfect shape and size; just open the package and they're ready to cook. They have a fresh, bold, and balanced flavor and an inviting aroma. They're versatile because they pair well with a wide range of foods, from meat to fish, from vegetables to eggs. They hold their shape well during cooking and don't lose their texture. The lean-to-fat ratio is optimal, so they're perfect for toasting and crisping or for adding succulence during cooking. They're prepared with carefully selected meats. They're gluten-, dairy-, and dairy-free.

Crispy or succulent?

Negroni's smoked pancetta cubes can be used as a key ingredient in a dish or as an extra touch to add to everyday recipes, making them tastier and more original.

To make them crispy, simply toast them in a nonstick pan, without seasoning, for a few minutes, turning them frequently to brown them on all sides, and then draining the fat. They're perfect for a vegetable dish, a salad, a pasta sauce, or gnudi, like the ones we suggest at the bottom of this page. They also complement a risotto or cream soup.

Browned directly in the soffritto, they are ideal for enriching a legume, grain, or chestnut soup or for giving a boost to a spaghetti dish with garlic, oil, and chili pepper. Added during cooking, however, they make an omelette, a savory pie, or a potato flan delicious, and can even transform a simple dish into a gourmet one.

You can also dry them and turn them into a delicious bacon powder by baking the cubes at 120°C for at least twenty minutes, then once cooled, crumble them directly onto your plate!

Smoked bacon and fish?

With this delicious and versatile ingredient, you can be daring without taking too many risks, because its rounded and aromatic flavor pairs well with so many ingredients, even fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Here are some ideas to impress your guests.

With salmon: Bake the salmon fillets, sprinkling a few cubes of smoked pancetta on top so that their succulence and smoky flavor penetrate the fish flesh during cooking. Serve this dish with homemade lime mayonnaise.

For calamari: Add a few cubes of smoked pancetta to the filling of stuffed calamari. For the filling, mix the chopped squid tentacles with chopped parsley and onion, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, and diced smoked pancetta.

With prawns: cook prawns and diced smoked bacon in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes over high heat, then serve them over a cream of chickpeas or beans, which you can make simply by blending them with a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper.

Tradition, with an extra edge

When you're very hungry and appreciate strong flavors, a good idea is to add a few cubes of smoked bacon to everyday dishes, transforming them into something new and more appetizing.

Here are some suggestions:

In the sauce of a delicious pasta, together with eggs, pecorino cheese and pepper.

In muffin dough or homemade bread.

As a crunchy complement to a pumpkin, parmesan or vegetable risotto.

When sautéing the roast: be careful not to let them get too dark.

In quiche Lorraine, the French savory pie with a shortcrust pastry shell and a filling of eggs, cream, cheese, and smoked bacon.

In potato pie together with scamorza or mozzarella.

Add flavor and color to a pan of vegetables, such as artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, or turnip greens.

In pasta and beans, to make it more fortifying and delicious.

In the sautéed minestrone, being careful to cook them only for a few minutes so as not to blacken them.

On toasted bread, spread with robiola or crescenza: in this case, toast them or dry them in the oven and add them cubed or crumbled.

A meeting of flavors

Smoked pancetta cubes also work beautifully on gnocchi and gnudi, adding a touch of crunch that complements their softness. Our gnudi are made with chicory and ricotta, slightly bitter and soft, while the pancetta adds savory and richness to the dish.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 500 g firm cow's ricotta 300 g cherry tomatoes 250 g cleaned Catalunya 200 g diced smoked bacon Negroni 80 g grated cheese 60 g 00 flour 1 egg sugar – oregano extra virgin olive oil – salt – pepper

Procedure

Arrange the cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet, whole or halved, and season with a drizzle of oil, oregano, and a pinch of salt and sugar. Bake at 140°C for 40-45 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized.

Boil the chicory in salted water for 5-6 minutes, then drain, squeeze, and chop; mix in a bowl with the ricotta, egg, cheese, flour, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Form the mixture into large gnudi: since it will be soft, you can use two spoons, as you would with quenelles. Drop the gnudi into boiling salted water and cook them for 3-4 minutes, then drain them with a slotted spoon to avoid breaking them.

Toast the smoked bacon cubes in a non-stick pan for 3-4 minutes, then drain the fat.

Season the gnudi with a drizzle of oil, the baked cherry tomatoes, the crispy pancetta, and, if desired, some chopped parsley.