Pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon

Name: Pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Rigatoni 11.3 oz; Romanesco broccoli 2.2 lbs; Pancetta tesa 7.1 oz; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese grated ¾ cup; Garlic 1 clove; Extra virgin olive oil 4 ½ tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

it es br de fr nl

717

Calories per serving

Energy Kcal 717
Carbohydrates g 69.5
of which sugars g 5.3
Protein g 30.2
Fats g 35.4
of which saturated fat g 10.84
Fiber g 6.5
Cholesterol mg 58
Sodium mg 929

Lactose Free

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Pasta with romanesco broccoli and pancetta? Oh, it's a must-try in Lazio when you're craving something fresh and super flavorful. Romanesco is not just any vegetable—it's got that awesome fractal look and delivers a slightly tender bite that's way different from regular broccoli. The trick here? Blend part of the broccoli right in the pan. Seriously good. It melts into this creamy sauce that clings to each piece of pasta. And you know, people love how the pancetta pasta dish is both crispy and a little moist. Every bite is salty, savory and even a bit sweet thanks to the Romanesco.

In Lazio, you'll see this everywhere—menus, homes, pretty much. Especially when folks want to hang out and eat something homemade without the fuss. If you're skipping the meat, just swap in spinach instead of pancetta. Keeps it light and really really shows off how flexible Italian pasta dishes are.

Gathering with friends for a meal like this means lots of chatting and laughing while the smell of pasta with romanesco broccoli and pancetta fills the air. And listen, Romanesco cooked just right gives a delicate crunch that soaks up all those rich porky flavors. This isn’t your average broccoli pasta. The creaminess from blended Romanesco turns the sauce silky and smooth—that’s what takes it over the top.

Even folks who say they're not into veggies often go back for seconds. For real! In Lazio, home cooks might change up the pasta shape, but short ones like rigatoni or penne? Can't go wrong. They grab that creamy sauce so well. The dish stands out as one of those easy pasta recipes that feels special but does not take forever to make. Perfect for nights when you want something savory but don't wanna spend hours in the kitchen. Once you try a genuine romanesco pasta recipe like this, it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite at casual Italian get-togethers. And here's the thing, it really is a hit.

How to prepare Pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon

To prepare the pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon, start by cleaning the cabbage. Then peel it 1 and remove the stem 2, then gradually separate the florets from the stem 3.

Dice the tender part of the stem 4, so you don't have to discard it entirely. Rinse the broccoli thoroughly 5, paying attention to any soil residues, and then blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water 6. Once blanched, you can drain it (if you prefer, you can use the same cooking water from the broccoli to cook the pasta later, to avoid wasting it).

Meanwhile, brown a clove of garlic in a pan with 3.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 7; remove the garlic and add the well-drained broccoli florets, sautéing them in the pan for 5-6 minutes 8. At the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper 9.

Slice and dice the bacon 10 and set it aside. Then cook the pasta in boiling salted water (or in the water you used to cook the broccoli) 11 and in the meantime, put ¾ of the sautéed broccoli into a blender 12.

Add 2 teaspoons of oil 13, the grated Parmesan 14 and blend everything, adding a little pasta cooking water 15,

thus obtaining a creamy sauce 16. Add the bacon cubes to the remaining florets 17 and sear over high heat for 1-2 minutes 18.

At this point, the pasta will be al dente, so drain it directly into the pan with bacon and broccoli 19 and sauté for a few minutes, also adding the cream 20. If you notice that the mixture is too thick, you can thin it with more pasta water. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan to taste, and the pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon is ready, serve it piping hot 21!

Storage

It is advisable to consume the pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon immediately, but if you prefer, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days. You can prepare the sauce a few hours in advance and then cook the pasta.

Advice

Don't throw away the pasta water in which you blanched the cabbage; instead, cook the pasta in it as suggested in the procedure: it will become tastier!

You can enrich the pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon by using fresh chili and replacing the bacon with speck!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon

PRESENTATION

How to prepare Pasta with Romanesco broccoli and bacon

Storage

Advice

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