Pasta with Parmesan Cream and Speck
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Average
PRESENTATION
Pasta with Parmesan Cream and Speck is built around a single technique: working Parmigiano with milk until the sauce is completely smooth and velvety, with no trace of graininess. That cream coats every strand or shape in a rich, lush layer, while crispy speck adds a salty crunch that cuts straight through it. The contrast between the two—velvet against crisp—is what makes the dish work.
The cheese and milk need enough time together in the pan to form a cohesive, lump-free sauce before anything else goes in. The speck earns its own moment in a hot skillet, crisping up and releasing its full savory depth. Both steps are brief, and the patience they ask for is well spent.
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- INGREDIENTS
- Rigatoni 11.3 oz (320 g)
- Speck 3 oz (80 g) - sliced
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Whole milk 1 glass (200 g)
- Black pepper to taste
- Fine salt to taste
How to prepare Pasta with Parmesan Cream and Speck
To prepare the pasta with Parmesan cream and speck, start with the speck. Stack the slices on top of each other and then cut them into strips about 3/8 inch 1. Heat a nonstick skillet and let the speck brown over high heat for about 5 minutes 2. Stir occasionally so it doesnt burn 3.
When its golden and crispy, set it aside on paper towels 4. At this point, add the rigatoni to boiling salted water and cook following the times on the package 5. Meanwhile, in the same pan used for the speck, pour in the milk 6.
When its almost at a boil, turn off the heat and add the grated Parmesan 7. Stir with a spoon until it turns into a cream 8. Drain the pasta directly into the pan 9.
Add a little pasta cooking water if needed 10 and a grind of black pepper 11. All that's left is to add a couple of tablespoons of crispy speck 12.
Give everything a good toss 13 and you can plate. Garnish each dish with more speck 14 and youre ready to enjoy your pasta with Parmesan cream and speck 15.