Pasta with Saffron and Pancetta
This pasta with saffron is a very traditional and flavorful Italian recipe that only uses a handful of ingredients. Ready in just 40 minutes, it's a perfect blend of simplicity and sophistication for any day of the week.
Servings: 4
Calories: 751kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ½ oz spaghetti alla chitarra or other pasta
- 6 ¾ fl oz fresh cream
- ½ teaspoon saffron ground threads (saffron powder can also be used - see notes)
- 1 onion
- 5 ⅓ oz pancetta
- ¾ oz butter
- 1 ¾ oz grated parmesan or grana
- 1 sprig parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the saffron into a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of hot water approximately 2 hours before cooking. After 2 hours, mix in the cream and a pinch of salt.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt to the boiling water.
- In a large skillet, heat the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until it starts to brown slightly.
- Add the finely chopped onion to the pan with the pancetta and let it cook until the onions are softened and the pancetta has browned.
- Pour the saffron-infused cream into the pan. Stir well and cook for a minute.
- Add some of the parsley, ground pepper, and a portion of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the sauce. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes until the Parmigiano Reggiano has melted.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the saffron sauce. If the sauce seems too dry, mix in some of the reserved pasta water.
- Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of the remaining parsley and additional Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.
Notes
- It is important not to use more saffron than the recipe states as the taste may become bitter.
- If you are using saffron powder instead of threads simply mix it with the cream until well incorporated. It doesn't need to infuse like saffron threads.
- This recipe can be made with cooked ham instead of pancetta for a milder taste, or omitted for a vegetarian option.
- If you are making this recipe vegetarian be sure to use a vegetarian parmesan as many traditional Italian parmesans use animal rennet.
- The cream can also be replaced by ¼ glass of wine in which the saffron has been steeped. More pasta cooking water will then be needed to make the sauce more liquidy.
- You can use any short, such as penne, or thin long pasta, such as normal spaghetti, for this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 751kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 532mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1005IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 2mg