Don’t worry –this isn’t another post about Thanksgiving leftovers. I like them as much as the next guy (preferably straight from the fridge), but by Saturday, I’m ready for something new.
This is a dish I’ve made over and over this fall. The seasonal flavors — sage, earthy and slightly sweet chestnuts, and the always-welcome flavor of bacon– blend beautifully into a silky sauce. It’s also a good recipe for weary Thanksgiving cooks since it comes together in about half an hour –if, that is, you use the shelled pre-cooked chestnuts that you can find in jars on supermarket shelves this time of year. (I’ve found that roasting and shelling chestnuts is an enterprise that often begins with a romantic idea and ends in cuts and burns.)
Three tips: use only unsmoked bacon like Italian pancetta –smoky American bacon will overwhelm the delicate flavor of the chestnuts; use all the sage –it’s a strong herb, but the dish can handle it; and keep the sauce moist with plenty of pasta water (more on that below).
Recipe
(Adapted from Tagliatelle with Chestnuts, Pancetta and Sage from Gourmet magazine, February 2005. Serves 6-8 as a starter or 4 as a main course.)
Ingredients
5 ounces (140g) pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon) in a slab, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
A generous 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (measure this the first time — it may be more than you think)
8 ounces (230g) bottled peeled roasted chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups or 360ml)
8 ounces (230g) dried flat pasta, such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettuccine
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup or 240ml)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
1. Put a large (6-8 quart or 6-8l) pot of salted water for the pasta on the stove over high heat.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. (For this dish, you don’t want the pancetta to be brown and crispy.)
3. Add the onion and cook until it too just begins to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and about half the sage and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in the chestnuts and remove from the heat.
4. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Just before you drain it, ladle out about 2 cups of the pasta water. Then drain in a colander and addict to the skillet. Add 1 cup (240ml) of the reserved pasta water and about 3/4 of the cheese and the butter. Place over medium-high heat and toss until the pasta is well coated, about 1 minute.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, and toss in the rest of the sage and parsley. Add more pasta water if necessary and err on the side of moisture. When the dish leaves the skillet, it should be wetter and looser than you would like: as you plate and serve it, the water will continue to evaporate quickly, and the dish can end up dry and sticky if it doesn’t start out a little soupy. I usually end up using about 1 1/2 cups (360ml) of pasta water.
Serve immediately topped with a sprinkling of the remaining cheese.
With a salad, a large portion makes a satisfying main course for dinner or a hearty lunch. A small portion is an excellent prelude to a meaty (that is, not turkey) entree like beef, venison or lamb.
