Goats Cheese Garlic Linguine With Crisp Pancetta Recipes

CREAMY GOAT CHEESE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta: Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
• Make sauce: Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until the garlic becomes aromatic. Add the goat cheese, half and half and stir. Whisk until smooth.
• Add pasta: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked penne and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir well to coat the pasta and let it bubble in the sauce for 1-2 minutes.
• Finish: If you'd like a thinner sauce, add more of the pasta water as needed. Mix in the basil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice and zest and more pasta water if needed. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
• Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley and serve.

LINGUINE WITH GARLIC OIL AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. While it's heating up, put the garlic olive oil in an ovenproof dish; I use an enamel Le Creuset one, measuring 12 by 8-inches. Remove the rind from pancetta and put it in the dish (to render down: you want as much bacony juices as possible), then dice the rest of the pancetta and add these cubes to the oil, smooshing them about with your fingers to make sure they're equally, if lightly, coated. When the water's boiling, put the dish of garlic-oiled pancetta in the oven, then salt the boiling water and add the linguine; these should need about 10 minutes to cook. When the pasta's ready, drain it, reserving a scant cupful of the cooking water and take the pancetta dish out of the oven. Tip the drained linguine into the dish and toss well, adding some of the pasta, cooking water, drop by cautious drop, for lubrication as you need it.
• And that's it: I like this without Parmesan, but a sprinkling of roughly scissored parsley, should you feel inclined, is always a good idea.

WARM PANCETTA, GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Put the spinach in a large bowl. Crumble the cheese over the spinach. Cook the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pancetta in a sieve set over a heatproof measuring cup, reserving the rendered fat. You will need 1/4 cup for the dressing. If necessary, add enough olive oil to make 1/4 cup. Pour the fat back into the pan and add the pancetta. When the pancetta is warm again, add the garlic and cook until light brown, about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme and let it crackle in the fat for about 10 seconds. Add the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 30 seconds to lower the acidity of the vinegar. You should see tiny drops of vinegar dispersed throughout the fat. Add the dried cranberries and stir. Pour the dressing over the spinach and cheese. Toss to coat the leaves evenly and melt the cheese a little. Serve immediately.

WARM GOAT CHEESE AND PANCETTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine dried cherries with warm water to cover. Set aside to soften.
• In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and pancetta. Cook until fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Drain pancetta on paper towels and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Return pancetta to pan and cook until crispy. Add garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Reduce heat, add thyme and stir well. Add 15 good turns of black pepper. Add vinegar, return pan to heat, and deglaze pan, scraping up all the brown bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Simmer until vinegar reduces by half. Whisk in porcini oil. Season with salt.
• Put mixed greens in a salad bowl. Crumble the goat cheese over the greens. Quickly toss mixture with pancetta dressing so greens barely wilt. Drain cherries. Add cherries, toss again. Immediately transfer to plates and serve.

PANCETTA CRISPS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND PEAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Place pancetta slices in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Using spatula, slide pancetta crisps onto platter. Top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese and 1 pear slice. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH PANCETTA, GARLIC AND FIGS

Steps:

• Place the pancetta in a large skillet over low heat and cook until it has browned and released half of its fat. Remove the pancetta from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add the olive oil to the skillet and increase the heat to medium. When the pancetta is hot but not smoking, return it to the pan and cook for a few seconds.
• Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the thyme and cook just until it makes a popping sound. Stir in the vinegar and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Crumble the goat cheese into the skillet and cook just until it begins to weep. Toss in the greens and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Toss in the figs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salad in a bowl and serve warm.