This Crispy Pancetta Pasta has been a regular in our weeknight dinner rotation for years as it’s quick to make (ready in around 20 minutes!) and a favourite for everyone. You’ll simply make a creamy, sundried tomato sauce that you’ll stir-through the spaghetti once cooked, and top with pan-fried crispy pancetta.
It’s essentially a simple three step recipe; you’ll make the creamy sundried tomato stir-through sauce using a stick blender or mini food chopper. In the meantime, boil your spaghetti and fry your pancetta until crispy, which takes around just 5-6 minutes.
If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this recipe for your family, see here >
The Stars of my Crispy Pancetta Pasta
The Pancetta
In the UK, pancetta can usually be found in every supermarket, but in other countries like the US, it is harder to come by. However, you can still make this recipe, instead using regular cut smoked bacon rashers, NOT thick cut.
When it comes to using pancetta, I usually go for a pack of dry cured pancetta rashers. Then use scissors to dice them by holding up the slab of rashers and horizontally snipping them about 1cm vertically. Then I roughly pull them apart with my fingers, as the rashers will be stuck to each other. They will separate more during frying. Alternatively, you can use packs of smoked cubed pancetta for speed and ease. You can also use a little more pancetta than it states in my recipe if you like.
The Stir-Through Sauce
The sauce is a creamy sundried tomato stir-through sauce. You will need a stick blender or a small food chopper to blend it up into a mostly smooth, thick sauce. It’s uses simple ingredients, pretty much just sundried tomatoes, double cream, garlic and dried mixed herbs. You’ll treat it like a pesto, just stirring it through once you’ve drained the pasta (along with some pasta water you’ll need to reserve first).
The Pasta
I definitely recommend making this recipe with spaghetti, but you can choose a different pasta shape if you need to. For example, if you are sharing with a weaning baby and want a pasta shape they can palm more easily.
FAQ’s For My Crispy Pancetta Pasta
Can I prepare this Crispy Pancetta Pasta in advance?
The stir-through sauce is a great one to prepare ahead of time. You could make it up to 2 days in advance. Then just cover and refrigerate until you are ready to start cooking (or half an hour before ideally), giving it some time to come up to room temperature. You could also dice your pancetta rashers earlier on the same day as you are going to be cooking it, cover and refrigerate.
Can I feed more people with this recipe?
Yes, I have doubled it in the past for a family gathering. You’ll just need an extra large cooking pot to boil the pasta in and to stir the sauce through in. And a large frying pan for the pancetta. And as you will be doubling the sauce, there will be enough to use a regular blender or food processor instead of a stick blender or a small food chopper.
How can younger children help make it?
It’s always great to get the kids cooking, younger ones could help you make the sauce with your supervision and help stir it in.
Can I Store Crispy Pancetta Pasta leftovers?
Because of the pesto style sauce and crispy pancetta, this pasta dish is best eaten freshly made. If you do want to keep Crispy Pancetta Pasta leftovers, do so in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). Reheat in the microwave, adding a little water first and stirring halfway, until steaming hot all the way through. Bear in mind the pancetta will no longer be crispy.
More on safe food storage and reheating.
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My Crispy Pancetta Pasta is egg and nut-free. You can go gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Adapting My Crispy Pancetta Pasta For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this Crispy Pancetta Pasta recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Keeping Picky Eaters Happy
My fussy eater loves this meal. He is funny about tomato chunks, but as the sundried tomatoes are blended, leaving no lumps, it’s proven to be a good one for even tomato haters.
Making My Crispy Pancetta Pasta Suitable for Toddlers
As sundried tomatoes are salty, I wouldn’t recommend this meal for little one’s under 12 months old.
As pancetta is processed meat and very salty, I would recommend leaving it off for toddlers. You can serve some cheddar cheese on the side or grate it over the pasta, and serve some salad veggies on the side.
I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook.
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Crispy Pancetta Pasta
Equipment
- Mini food chopper/stick blender
- Frying pan + cooking spoon
- Measuring beaker or jug
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 180 g min. smoked pancetta rashers or cubes (or bacon rashers NOT thick cut) if rashers, dice - see notes
FOR THE STIR-THRU SAUCE
- 285 g jar sundried tomatoes, drained after reserving ½ tablespoon of the oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- 150 ml double cream
- ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
- Black pepper to taste
See notes for baby & toddler
Instructions
- Start cooking your pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water, according to packet instructions.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring every so often, until the pancetta is crisp and deep golden. When done, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a sheet of paper towel on a plate.
- In the meantime, put the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs and cream into your stick blender pot or mini chopper) and whizz until you have a thick, mostly smooth sauce.
- When the pasta is done, reserve a ladle of the pasta water (100ml approx) before you drain it. Add that back into the pasta pan, along with the drained pasta and the sauce. Stir vigorously to mix thoroughly.
- Dish up into pasta bowls and top with the crispy pancetta.
Notes
Baby & Toddler
STORAGE
Nutrition
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