Baked Ziti With Cream And Pancetta

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 -2 slice pancetta, chopped up into tiny pieces (about half an inch thick)
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (35% cream)
• 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
• 1/2 lb ziti pasta, dried
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt.
• 2 in a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the pancetta. cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the pancetta is golden. be careful not burn. remove the pancetta to a plate and reserve the oil and fat in the skillet.
• 3 when the water is boiling and you’ve salted it, add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes. meanwile, heat the oven to 500 degrees f.
• 4 in a large bowl, combine the cream, salt and pepper. stir in the pancetta and a tablespoon or two of the oil/fat left in the skillet (flavour flavour flavour!).
• 5 once the pasta has cooked for 6 minutes, drain and immediately add to the cream mixture. stir well to ensure that the pasta is coated in the cream and cheese.
• 6 pour the mixture into a deep baking dish and bake in the oven for 12 minutes. the pasta should be golden on top and the cream should be bubbling. if it’s not, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.
• 7 remove the pasta from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. serve immediately.