Linguine with a simple creamy, tomato and pancetta sauce.

Original recipe: Pappardelle, tomato, pancetta; River Cafe Two Easy by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, Page 72
Yields 4x portions (Entree/mains?)

320g Egg Pappardelle
6x Plum Tomatoes
150g Pancetta slices
2x Dried Chillies
100g Parmesan
150g Unsalted Butter
150ml Double Cream

Method:
1. Concasse tomatoes.
2. Cut pancetta into 2cm pieces.
3. Crumble chilli and grate parmesan.
4. Melt butter in heavy pan, add pancetta and chilli and cook gently and pancetta colours.
5. Add tomato, season and cook gently for 10 minutes.
6. Add cream and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Cook pasta, drain and add to cooked cream sauce..
8. Stir through half the parmesan.
9. Plate then top with parmesan.

My variation: Yields one serve for my hungry self

Ingredients:

150g fresh Linguine
2x Roma Tomatoes (I tried with simple salad tomatoes, darn sour due to short cooking time in my recipe)
50g? Pancetta, pre-sliced or slice it yourself if you've got a powered slicer or you like your pancetta chunky
30g? Parmesan, shaved
EV Olive Oil
One heaped tablespoon dollop of Double Cream

Method:
1. Get a pot boiling with water.
2. Cook Pancetta slices- Oven if it's on, on top a rack to let the fat drip away OR in a heavy pan on low heat and some olive oil to get the frying action started. Once done, remove and set aside.
3. Tomato Concasse: Remove Tomato core and score a cross on the other end to aide peeling after blanching.
4. Once the water is boiling, plunge the Tomatoes for a few seconds to loosen the skin.
5. Refresh the Tomatoes when done, and add in the Pasta and cover with a lid if needed to get the water boiling again.
6. Peel the Tomatoes, halve, squeeze the inner pulp and seeds out and quarter each half again. Don't crush the tomatoes to death please.
7. Heat the pan (if it has been used to fry the pancetta) high/medium-high, sauté the Tomatoes, season it a little.
8. Cook on heat for about 2-3minutes.
9. Add in most of the Pancetta and Parmesan. Add Double Cream, taste and season. If the pasta is done al dente, drain and toss it through the sauce. If not take the pan with the sauce off the heat until the pasta is ready.
10. Plate, top with Parmesan Shavings and strips of Pancetta.

 

Note: Please wait for photos update.