BLT BUCATINI
America’s favorite sandwich gets an Italian makeover, with pasta standing in for the bread, pancetta for the bacon and spicy arugula for the lettuce.
Pancetta is pork belly, same as bacon, but cured with salt and spices rather than smoked. You can use thickly sliced bacon to give your bucatini a smoky flavor.
Make Ahead: The pasta can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Adapted from “The Glorious Pasta of Italy,” by Domenica Marchetti (Chronicle, 2011).
Salt
8 ounces thickly or thinly sliced pancetta (may substitute thick-cut bacon; see headnote) 1 1/2 pounds cherry
tomatoes 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
olive oil
1 pound dried bucatini (also known as perciatelli)
5 ounces baby arugula
leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino-Romano cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt it generously.
Cut the sliced pancetta into 1/2-inch cubes or pieces. Cut each tomato in half.
Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, scatter the pancetta in the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta fat has started to render (melt) and the meat is lightly browned and somewhat crispy.
Add the tomatoes to the pan; increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomatoes have collapsed and the liquid in the pan has thickened into a sauce. Reduce the heat as needed to keep the sauce barely bubbling at the edges. Taste, and season with salt, as needed.
Turn off the heat and cover to keep the sauce warm.
Add the bucatini to the boiling water; reduce the heat to medium-high and cook according to the package directions (for al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander set in the sink, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Transfer the bucatini to the skillet and gently toss with the sauce, adding a splash or two of the cooking water, as needed, to loosen the consistency.
Add the arugula by the handful and continue to toss for a minute or so, just until the greens are wilted.
Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle each portion with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Serve warm.
Serves 4 to 6
Nutrition | Per serving (using 1 teaspoon salt): 500 calories, 22 g protein, 62 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,270 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar