My dear husband created this delicious pasta dish during the summer between two memorable milestones: watching the first season of Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy in the spring and traveling to Italy with his son in the late fall. Join us in celebrating Italian cuisine with a nice Chianti, which pairs well with this dish.
1 lb casarecce or other short spiral pasta
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
¼ lb guanciale or pancetta, diced
2 cups mixed mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ tsp chili pepper flakes
5 oz arugula, roughly chopped
1½ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup grated Pecorino cheese
2 tbs unsalted butter
Serves 4 as a main course.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until almost al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and reserve 1½ cups of pasta water.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the guanciale or pancetta and cook stirring with a wooden spoon until golden and the fat renders.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic and pepper flakes and continue stirring until the mushrooms soften and turn golden.
- Add ½ cup of the pasta water and scrape up any bits sticking to the pan bottom to create a light sauce.
- Stir in the arugula in two bunches and cook until wilted.
- Add half of the cheeses and the butter plus additional pasta water if needed to maintain the sauce consistency. Stir until blended.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir gently for one minute to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce.
- Serve immediately with additional cheese on top.
— Created by David Matthews for Connect
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