I know that one of my culinary adventures has been successful when Chris insists that I post it to the blog immediately, "so we don't forget about the recipe." For all of you who know Chris, you also know that this level of culinary dedication is totally out of the ordinary--so this recipe must be damn good. So damn good that we completely forgot to take a picture!!
Chris and I were ravenous when I made this Tagliatelle with Chestnuts, Pancetta, and Sage--from a 2005 issue of Gourmet--and it turned out even better than I could have hoped for. Yes, the chestnuts were remarkably expensive at the grocery store (11.99 a jar--I probably shouldn't have bought them right before Thanksgiving, when the price was probably jacked up), but the pasta honestly tasted like a 50-dollar creation. The combination of the sage and chestnuts creates a crumbly, heady sauce that enrobes every delicate strand of egg pasta. As usual, we didn't have pancetta on hand, so I subbed bacon, which was completely fine. I used all the sage that I had on hand, and it didn't overwhelm the other flavors one bit.
Beverage Note: Chris and I had a bottle of wine with this dish (per usual), but I honestly can't remember what the varietal was. The pasta blew my memory of the vino to bits. Yes, this pasta is that good--just try it!!!
Serves 3-4
3 ounces pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured bacon), chopped (scant 1 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (I used an entire package of sage. It was worth it)
8 ounces bottled peeled roasted whole chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces dried flat egg pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine
2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cook pancetta in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in chestnuts and remove from heat.
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander and add to pancetta mixture in skillet. Add 1 cup reserved cooking water along with cheese and butter and cook, tossing constantly, over high heat until pasta is well coated (add more reserved water if necessary), about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve sprinkled with parsley and remaining tablespoon sage.
