Ok, I know right after the holidays I was excited about all my new cookbooks and I still am! But shortly before Christmas I took advantage of a special offer to get full access to all the recipes at Christopher Kimball's Milk Street for a few months and I have been picking out quite a few new ones to try.
One of the recipes I was most excited to make was the pasta dish you see tonight. When I first saw it I thought it sounded like a great way to use up a lot of carrots and I knew I had some in my crisper drawer that needed to be used. The other reason this attracted me is the fact that it is not a tomato based pasta dish and I know of (at least) one of our WFD family that cannot eat tomatoes.
I am happy to say that this is a delicious dish with some unique flavors coming from additions like capers and nutmeg. The carrot really adds a nice sweet earthiness to the pasta as it cooks together and the pancetta is a nice little bit of salty and tangy in a way that bacon is not. I am glad I did not substitute that and made the extra trip to a different grocery store where they had it already diced in the exact amount called for. Oh, and it is a one pot dish! The pasta is not cooked separately!
Farfalle with Creamy Carrots and Pancetta
from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street
ingredients:
- 4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater (or on the shredder disc of a food processor)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 2 pieces, divided
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 pound farfalle
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons drained capers, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
directions:
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In a large Dutch oven over medium, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
Add the carrots to the pot along with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, uncovered and stirring often, until the carrots begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Stir in 5 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add the pasta, submerging it in the water as much as possible. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and almost dry; if the mixture is dry before the pasta is done, add about ½ cup water as needed.
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Off heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, parsley, Parmesan, cream, capers and nutmeg. Toss, adding additional water as needed so the pasta is lightly sauced.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the pancetta and additional cheese.
So, what are you cooking or eating tonight? Let us know in the comments below!
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