Maui Girl's Summer Fettuccine

Submitted by Rich Williams (‘62)
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Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fettuccine
  • ¼ pound pancetta bacon, diced
  • 1 quart heavy cream, divided
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the fettuccini, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
  2. Place the pancetta in a large, deep skillet, and cook and stir over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain the pancetta on a paper towel-lined plate.
  3. Heat 1/2 of the heavy cream in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the fettuccine, and bring to a boil. Add the remaining heavy cream, garlic, pancetta, tomatoes, and basil. Cook and stir until the sauce is reduced, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Cook’s Note

I think this would work well with half and half if you want to cut back a bit. It would also work with regular bacon though it should not be cooked crisp. The bacon or pancetta should be chewy and browned. I am not sure if this would work well with dried basil, but I will attempt that and review at a later date. It is so worth while to buy a big chunk of fresh Parmesan to keep on hand for all pasta dishes. I buy one about once a year, wrap it in paper towel and store in resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator. It will keep beautifully and you are using the finest Parmesan cheese in the world.