Pancetta Pasta with Crème Fraîche

So last night I made pasta with some of the items we had laying around the house.  I used crème fraîche, asparagus, pancetta and tomato. Mmmmmmmm

It turned out pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

I have to admit, I’m becoming a HUGE fan of pasta mixed with a little cooking water and crème fraîche.  It gives it a creamy taste without all the heavy cream and cheese.  You don’t need to go to the specialty store to find crème fraîche since it’s available at most grocery stores now; even our soviet acme down the street has it!  I’ve found that most brands taste the same so pick up whatever floats your boat.

You should also be able to find the pancetta in your grocery store.  It can come pre-packaged diced or you can buy the slices and dice it yourself.  If you can’t find the diced the best way to dice up the slices is to pop them in the freezer for a few minutes, then chop as usual.

If you don’t like pancetta you can use regular bacon or leave it out all together for a vegetarian friendly meal.

Ingredients

1 pkg     Diced Pancetta

1 pkg     Fresh Asparagus, sliced on the biased
5-10      Quartered Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbs      Minced Garlic
2 c         Pasta
½ c        Crème Fraîche
2 tbs      Pasta Cooking Water
Salt
Pepper

In a large stock pot, boil your water and prepare pasta as per package instructions.

Heat a large sauté pan on medium high. Add the pancetta and sauté for about 1 – 2 minutes, then add in your asparagus. Sauté until the asparagus is fork tender and bright green.  Add in your garlic and tomatoes.

 

**Omit the pancetta and add a little olive or for a vegetarian friendly meal.**

When pasta is cooked to your preference, reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water.  Drain the pasta and add with the cooking water to the pan with the pancetta, asparagus, garlic and tomatoes.  Now add in your crème fraîche and the salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

This would also be good with some fresh herbs added in as well.