Recipe: Pasta with Pancetta and Cabbage

Amongst the wedding crazies and the house happenings, a girl has to eat. While I have been eating generally pretty healthy, I do enjoy a good bowl of pasta here and there, I am half Sicilian after all. Saturday, while my mom and I were out and about, we drove to a quaint little shopping landmark called Peddler's Village in Lahaska, Pennsylvania. If you have never been there and live in the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York area, I recommend spending the day here. I've been many times and it never gets boring. Peddler's Village has some of the most unique shops that you won't find anywhere else.

One of my favorite shops in the Village is called Casa Casale. It is a little Italian specialty shop, with pasta, oils, vinegars, cheeses and other unique cooking knick knacks from Italy. On the one end of the shop is a live cooking demonstration station where there is always one or two meals on the stove to sample. Saturday, they were cooking "Pasta with Cabbage and Pancetta". One bite and I had to have the recipe. I bought the same pasta they used in the recipe which was a Fusilli variety and my mom and I went straight to the grocery store for the rest of the supplies.

I love when recipes call for wine. Usually you only need less than a cup and then the rest you can sip while cooking or while enjoying dinner. The recipe used white wine, I had a white table wine variety called "Just Married" from a Bucks County, Pennsylvania winery, Wycombe Vineyards.

Pancetta is usually purchased at your grocery store or any italian specialty shop in your area. It is delicious! We tweaked the recipe a bit to make it more our own. This recipe is Carl approved. (;

Enjoy and don't forget to stop by Casa Casale in-store or online!

Pasta with Pancetta and Cabbage

Ingredients:
2 tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 cup diced Pancetta
3/4 cup diced Onion
1/2 head boiled Savoy Cabbage - chopped
1/4 cup reserved Cabbage broth
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup White Wine
Salt and fresh ground Pepper
1 lb. of Fusilli Pasta - cooked al dente
Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta.
2. Cook Fusilli until al dente - taste after 6-7 minutes, don't over cook.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
4. Sauté the pancetta and onions until the pancetta is crispy and the onions are translucent.
5. Add white wine and let stand a few minutes to deglaze the pan.
6. Add the cabbage, stir, add the cabbage broth and chicken broth.
7. Let everything simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Drain pasta and add to pan with pancetta & cabbage, toss together.
9. Add salt & pepper to taste.
10. Top with some grated parmesan.

Enjoy!