Description

Served with mouth-watering braised pancetta and a buttery mascarpone and lemon sauce, this gigli pasta is the winter food we crave.

Ingredients

Scale

4 lbs. uncured pancetta (thick sliced)
1 big onion (thick sliced)
2 carrots (peeled & diced)
2–3 cloves garlic (peeled & chopped)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup white wine
4–5 cups chicken broth
1 lb. small potatoes
1 lb. brussel sprouts (halves)
2 lbs. cooked gigli or any kind of pasta you prefer
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 tbsp. mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
grated parmesan cheese (as needed)
salt & pepper (as needed)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F.
Heat a dutch oven over high heat, add olive oil and heat to smoking point. In batches, brown each side of pancetta. Set aside.
Spoon the fat/oil off until you left with about 2 tablespoons in the dutch oven, cook onion and carrots with a little bit of salt & pepper until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes further. Adjust the heat to medium and add white wine; cook to reduce until almost dry. Add chicken broth and all pancetta; bring to a simmer. Cover & cook in the oven for 2 hours. Add potatoes to the dutch oven and cook for 1 hour further. Keep warm.
Raise the oven temperature to 350F. Roast brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt & pepper until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
Heat butter, mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, salt & pepper in a saucepan until well-mixed. Coat gigli with the mascarpone sauce. To serve, divide the pasta to plates, gradually add pancetta sauce as needed along with pancetta & potatoes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve along side roasted brussels sprouts.

Notes

Instead of using all 4 lbs pancetta, try using only 2 lbs pancetta and 2 lbs beef to cut back on fat.
Also, the sauce need NOT be divided equally into 6 servings. When ready to serve, add succulent pancetta to the plate with a small ladle of sauce; you can always add more sauce if you prefer, but start small

Category: Main
Cuisine: Italian-Inspired