Pasta with Pancetta Parmesan and Black Pepper

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This 30-Minute Pasta with Pancetta Parmesan and Black Pepper is a delicious time saving family dinner!  Serve it as the main dish or a side this week. 

Raise your hand if pasta is the go-to dinner for the kids in your house?  I hear ya!  Well, there are times to push beyond pasta.  And there are other times to just embrace it and go all out PASTA!!  Today, I am going all out with this time-saving, 30-Minute Pasta with Pancetta Parmesan and Black Pepper.  It’s creamy, peppery, and absolutely delicious!

The Pancetta is diced to give a salty and slightly peppery flavor and meatiness in every bite.  The Parmesan cheese creates this nutty, salty, and creamy sauce coating every piece of pasta.  And last, but not least, the ground black pepper gives that peppery flavor that really makes this pasta stand out. 

The best part is that you save time because there is no sauce to make!  The pasta and parmesan create it together!

If you love quick cooking pasta dinners, try my Sour Cream Tomato Sauce Pasta or how about this Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Pasta.  Oh and please check out my Shell Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage and Kale too!

Pancetta Pasta Variation on Cacio e Pepe

My husband, Dave, and I went to Italy to celebrate our 10 year Anniversary.  In Rome, we had the most amazing pasta dishes.  One of the best was a mouth watering Cacio e Pepe, which is a creamy Parmesan Cheese and Black Pepper Italian Pasta.  The traditional recipe has just the pasta, pasta water, and parmesan cheese to get the creamy consistency.

This recipe is my variation on that traditional dish.  In many pasta recipes pasta is mixed with garlic, olive oil, then finished with parmesan.  So, this is where I started.

Next, I added Lemon for some acidity.  I use both the zest and the juice and it really brightens up this recipe.

Then, I added Pancetta, which is the Italian version of bacon.  It’s pork belly that is sliced and cured, but not smoked, rolled with salt and pepper. 

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Simple Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pancetta – Pancetta can be found in your deli section or packaged premium cheeses and sausages section, near parmesan. At the deli counter, ask for ¼ inch slices. In the meat and cheeses section, you will likely find it pre-diced, which is perfect.
• Garlic cloves – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Fresh Lemon – For the fresh lemon juice, you can substitute in lime or white wine vinegar if you don’t have lemon. If you don’t have lemon zest, you can leave it out.
• Spaghetti pasta – I used Gluten Free Pasta. You can of course use your favorite pasta for this recipe, including wheat pasta. I do recommend a long pasta shape, such as Angel Hair, Spaghetti, or fettuccine to really combine with the parmesan to get creamy and delicious.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The oil in this recipe is added to the pasta after it’s cooked, so you really want a good quality olive oil where the flavor adds to the final dish. This is one of the few recipes where I really do not recommend substituting another oil.
• Salt – The salt goes into the pasta cooking water to help give flavor to the pasta. I used a coarse Kosher salt, but any salt will work.
• Grated Parmesan cheese – For this recipe, you really want grated good parmesan cheese that will melt beautifully and taste amazingly salty and nutty. Parmigiano Reggiano is my preferred for the best flavor, either pre-grated or you can grate fine (not shred). Shredded parmesan cheese is not recommended as it will very likely clump and not blend into a sauce.
• Ground Black Pepper – I love freshly ground black pepper for this as it really tastes the freshest. Of course, you can also use pre-ground black pepper.
• Pasta cooking water – MAKE SURE YOU SAVE THE WATER! The pasta cooking water is starchy and flavorful and helps to create the sauce with the pasta at the end.

Prep Steps for Pasta with Pancetta and Parmesan

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details) 

This is one of those dishes that tastes so incredible that you think it MUST take all day.  But it seriously takes only 3 steps and less than 30 minutes to pull together from scratch!  

The 3 steps are (1) Cook the Pancetta, garlic, and lemon juice in a skillet (2) add the Pasta (3) mix in the parmesan, pepper, and pasta water.  That’s it!

The only things you can do in advance is to dice the Pancetta and mince the garlic. This should only take a few minutes, so you can do it 3-4 days in advance or right before cooking.

Cook the Pasta with Pancetta and Parmesan

For this recipe, you need a large frying pan or skillet.  I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.  

While the pasta is cooking…Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Add the diced Pancetta. You shouldn’t need any oil in the pan as the pancetta has a lot of fat that will render. Stir the meat around with a spatula to prevent it from sticking. Turn the heat down and cook in the skillet over medium heat about 4-5 minutes until the fat is rendered and the Pancetta pieces are just starting to crisp.

Turn the heat down to low and add the minced garlic and lemon juice. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

Scoop the pasta out of the water and add it to the skillet, saving the pasta cooking water. It’s ok of you get some water in the skillet with the pasta. Drizzle the pasta with a tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then mix the pasta with the pancetta, garlic, and lemon juice.

Mixing in the Parmesan

Measure out a cup of the pasta water and let the pasta and the water cool to warm, not steaming hot, about 10 minutes. You do NOT want the cheese to melt into clumps when you add it! After 10 minutes, add one cup parmesan cheese and ground pepper to the pasta and immediately combine the parm and pasta using tongs or a couple large forks. You want the parmesan cheese to coat all of the pasta.

NOTE: It may seem like way too much black pepper, but it blends in beautifully and gives the pasta that familiar Cacio e Pepe flavor, so don’t skimp!

Last, drizzle in the water a little at a time, each time mixing until the parmesan starts to get creamy. If it starts to clump, the water is still too hot and you need wait until it cools a bit more. Continue this until you have added all of the measured out pasta water. You can always add a bit more if needed.

ENJOY! 😍 Carrie

Time-Saving Tips

TIP #1 – Buy freshly grated parmesan cheese from the deli section or cheese section of the store.

Tip #2 – Buy pancetta pre-diced.  You can find this in the meat and cheese section usually.

Tip #3 – Measure out all of your ingredients ahead of time and store together in the fridge.  When it’s time to cook, you are ready to go.

Pasta with Pancetta, Parmesan, and Pepper FAQS

What pasta is best for this recipe?

I used spaghetti for this as it helps to make the sauce really creamy when the parmesan is added. You could also use angel hair pasta or linguine or fettuccine as well. Of course, you can use a short cut pasta if that’s what you have.

Can I use shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated?

Shredded parmesan cheese is much more likely to clump as you mix it into the pasta. Grated is really the best option as all of those cheese granules can spread around the pasta and create that creamy garlic parmesan sauce. If all you have is shredded, I recommend putting it into a food processor and pulse it to turn it into a finely grated cheese.

Is this spicy with all of the black pepper?

Black pepper doesn’t have the heat that you would get in a cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Black pepper, even in the large quantity in this recipe, imparts a peppery flavor without the heat. If you are concerned about this tasting too spicy, start with a small amount and add more to taste.

Can I add chicken broth or chicken stock for more flavor?

You really do not need to add broth or stock to this as it has so much wonderful flavor as is. The only liquid needed is the pasta water, which is necessary to use vs. broth since it contains the starch from the pasta. This starch is what helps the pasta and the parmesan cheese to create a creamy sauce.

Can I add cream or whole milk to this pasta pancetta recipe?

It’s not needed at all. That said, if you absolutely want to add cream to this, you can add ½ cup right before adding in the parmesan cheese.

What can I serve with this pasta?

In terms of a protein, you can add a simple grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or grilled fish.  This Mediterranean marinated chicken is a great option.  For a vegetable side dish, this Mesclun Salad with Herb Parmesan Crisps and Shallot Vinaigrette is always a hit.