What can I do with pancetta?

[notso]

Got a bargain, 1.5kg of pancetta for £6.

Only now DH is mocking me because I don't know what to do with it.

So what do you do with it?

[flatpackhamster]

That is a bargain. It'll freeze fine, it's just bacon, so take a bit out of the freezer as and when you need it. A few tossed in to bolognese (at the point you're frying the onion and before your beef mince goes in), some fried on a salad with croutons, a few fried in oil with garlic and mixed in to a potato salad. Add some to a pizza (bought or home-made).

[notso]

Thanks flatpackhamster

If I freeze it raw can I then refreeze it cooked in something?

I think I'll freeze some in lardons and some in bigger pieces to slice up.

[pookamoo]

I thought the thread title said "placenta"...

[wallpaperaddict]

Use it in place of bacon in a quiche or frittata, I use it to make leek and pancetta pasta sauce, literally fry of pancetta until crispy,soften leek, splash of stock, splash of cream and lots of black pepper. Yum! It works nicely with sweet potato too-roasted together with red onion as an accompaniment.

[flatpackhamster]

Should be fine refrozen if cooked in something, so long as it's reheated at a high enough temperature for long enough. Say you froze some bolognese sauce, to reheat it I would have it at a lively boil for 15-20 minutes. You can do it from frozen if you have to, but the important thing is that the whole thing is hot through and also hot through for long enough to break down the cell walls of any bacteria which have formed.

[flatpackhamster]

That pasta sauce sounds really good wallpaperaddict, I will have to try that.

[notso]

pookamoo Obvs you fry that up and eat it with a naice Chianti!

Wallpaper that pasta recipe sounds delicious thanks.

Thank you again flatpack am loving the term lively boil!

[wallpaperaddict]

It is really really tasty! It works well with mushrooms too! Literally takes as long as it is to boil dried pasta so a great quick meal!

[ChubbyKitty]

Where did you get a bargain like that?

I use it in mac and cheese. It's terribly unhealthy the way I make it but I only eat it on days when I don't care.

[EMUZ]

I use it for carbonara, or chuck some in scrambled eggs or in a cheese sauce for pasta

[pookamoo]

I dunno, placenta carbonara has a ring to it...

[notso]

Mmmmm Macaroni cheese with pancetta, DD and I will enjoy that. DH and the three boys don't like it fools.

It was whoopsed in Morrisons from the deli counter and I have a 10% off card.
I get lot's of Deli bargains from there, it's the possibly only perk from living in an uncosmopolitan town!

[Tiredtrout]

In a risotto with butternut squash and thyme or pea and mint. Or in a beef casserole, or with pasta in a Gorgonzola sauce

[notso]

Yum to all those Tiredtrout

[TheBirdsFellDownToDingADong]

Whatever you would do with bacon. That's all it is. Just in chunks.

Carbonara a big fave here, as is Amatriciana.

[TheBirdsFellDownToDingADong]

I am salivating at the idea of a gorgonzola sauce with it in now.

[ShoeWhore]

Well done OP, nearly everything tastes better with a bit of pancetta

we use it for carbonara, bolognese, minestrone... loads of options!

[notso]

I think that's my problem Birds the only thing I do with bacon is scoff it in a big, fat butty!

[TheBirdsFellDownToDingADong]

Tomato sauce with a bit of hot chili chucked in basically. It's my fave pasta sauce really. And v quick.

[Xiaoxiong]

I often cba with carbonara so I just fry pancetta (or prosciutto if that's what I've got in the house) in the same weight of butter (eg. 50g pancetta in 50g butter ), then tossed with semi-drained pasta and a big heap of parmesan cheese. Only semi-drained so there's some pasta water - that makes it all go silky and lovely.

[ChubbyKitty]

Ahhh morrisons. My little safe haven in a busy day to day life.

I have dps staff discount card which makes it a very reasonable safe haven.

Am I sad?

I am searching the whoops sections tomorrow night.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Gorgeous inn a quiche with creme fraiche and gruyere cheese. Mmmm...