Rigatoni with Pancetta and Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs
Donal's Notes
A quick method and with plenty of store cupboard essential ingredients, this will tick a lot of boxes when you’re looking for a handy midweek meal.
Large pot
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Microplane
Colander
Tongs
Instructions
1
Peel and finely chop garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
2
Roughly chop the parsley and grate the Parmesan.
3
Add the garlic to a bowl with the breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix together.
4
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and toast the breadcrumbs until golden and crisp, stirring now and then for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
5
Return the pan to a medium heat and fry the pancetta until rendered down and crispy, around 5 minutes.
6
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan with the chilli flakes. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
7
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni until very al dente, reserving a cupful of the pasta water before draining.
8
Add the drained pasta to the frying pan along with a splash of the pasta water, the butter, most of the parsley, grated Parmesan and a handful of the breadcrumbs. Cook on a low heat, tossing until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce is silky and coating the pasta. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce is too dry.
9
Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of the remaining breadcrumbs, parsley and extra pepper.
