Fresh Pasta with Guanciale and Veggies

A simple formula to make a delicious family meal. All you need is pasta, fresh veggies and some guanciale (or bacon). No biggie. If you haven’t used guanciale before, you are missing out! It’s so good. I had never heard of it until I started working at Chestnut. Tiny bits of cured pork jowl that adds the perfect salt flavor to your veggie pasta. If you need to learn how to make fresh pasta, check out my how-to video. Enjoy!

Equipment

• Saute pan

• Large stock pot

• Small or medium sauce pot

• Mis en place plates - AKA regular plates. Why plates? You can fit more plates than bowls in the dishwasher.

• Tongs

• 1 cutting board

• Knife

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh pasta (or you can sub dried spaghetti)

• 2 garlic cloves chopped

• ½ sweet onion chopped

• Little bit of chopped rosemary, oregano and basil

• ¾ cup fresh or frozen peas

• ¾ cup fresh or frozen corn

• ⅓ lb guanciale ((you can sub pancetta or bacon))

• 3 cups chicken broth or stock

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Grated parmesan cheese ((optional))

• 2 tbsp butter chopped in cubes or easy to melt pieces

• Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

• Pepper

Directions

1. On high heat, fill the stock pot ¾ of the way and start boiling the water. Do the same with the small sauce pot.

2. While your water is heating up, chop up your garlic, onion and fresh herbs. Heat up your sauté pan and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the guanciale, sauté on medium heat until crispy and done. Set aside on a plate. Add the onions to the sauté pan, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 minute and then add herbs. Toss together and add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer to reduce for 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. While your broth is reducing, generously season the two pots of water with salt. Both pots of water should taste like the sea.

4. Cook the peas and corn in the small sauce pot of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes and strain.

5. When your broth is almost ready, cook the pasta in the large pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Strain and add pasta and butter to your broth and toss. Continue to cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the broth is mostly absorbed by the pasta. As it sits, it will continue to soak up the broth.

Notes

If using dried pasta, start cooking the pasta 8-10 minutes sooner than in the directions. It won’t soak up the broth as easily. You’ll either want to cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes below the pasta directions and cook it the rest of the way in the broth. You may need 1 cup more of broth. In fact, I’ll do this recipe again in the summer with dried pasta and fresh veggies. :) If you want to make this dairy free for some, skip the butter and parmesan in those bowls, and save it for you and your dairy-loving friends’ bowls!