This easy to make Broccoli Rabe Pancetta Pasta is pure comfort food and comes together quickly. It’s a taste of Sicily right in your kitchen. Pasta with pancetta and broccoli rabe or broccolini?? Count me in!
Pasta night is a normal weekly occurrence in so many households. Next time, why not change things up and make this east Pasta with Pancetta and Broccoli Rabe recipe? Its bright and fresh.
Table of Contents
Why you'll enjoy this pasta recipe
- This easy pasta dinner was a hit with my entire family, and I will go as far as to say it’s restaurant worthy.
- The sauce is light and vibrant, the broccoli rabe compliments pasta perfectly and is a great way to inject veggies into a pasta dish (you can also sub broccolini or spinach).
- The crispy pancetta and pine nuts add texture, flavor and make this pasta dish sing. The flavors and textures are spot-on!
Ingredients
- pasta
- olive oil
- shallot & fresh garlic
- red pepper flakes, salt & black pepper
- pine nuts
- white wine
- chicken broth & pasta water
- broccoli rabe or broccolini
- Pecorino Romano Cheese or Parmesan
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- This is a meal that comes together quickly. First, choose your pasta. I used Bucatini for this however, linguine, spaghetti, casarecce, pappardelle or your favorite robust pasta noodle will work as well.
- Start by crisping up your pancetta. When I picked up my pancetta at ShopRite, it was already cubed, so all I had to do was toss it in the pan and crisp it up (you can do this ahead of time as well and set it aside).
- Get your pasta water going and be sure to really salt the water. Like Gordon Ramsay says, you want it to taste like the ocean.
- In a large sauté pan, add your olive oil, and as soon as the oil heats up, add your shallots and sauté them for a minute or so, moving them around. Quickly add in your red pepper flakes, garlic and pine nuts and sauté for 30 seconds or so (over medium heat) moving them around. Add in your wine and chicken stock and allow it to just come to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, blanch your broccoli rabe in the pasta water for 2 ½ to 3 minutes, then pull them out and toss them into the saucepan.
- Cook your pasta to 1 minute under al dente per package instructions and SAVE 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Turn your sauce back on over medium heat, add your pasta, pasta water, cheese and toss, toss toss. Add in black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning (add salt if you feel it needs it as well as additional red pepper flakes if you want heat). Cooking another minute or two.
- Plate the pasta, sprinkle with parsley and additional cheese and if you have it a dollop of pesto (especially yummy if you don’t have fresh parsley) and enjoy!
Variations
- If you enjoy pesto, you can add a dollop of pesto to this dish as well.
- Swap broccolini for broccoli florets.
- Make this as spicy or as tame as you enjoy.
- To make this vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and swap the pancetta for toasted breadcrumbs.
Tips
- Quality ingredients always equal a better dish.
- Always salt your water so the water tastes like the ocean. Really. THIS is how you flavor pasta, more so over the actual sauces you choose to use.
- Whenever you are cooking with fresh garlic, be sure to not burn it. If you think your oil is too hot (or see any smoke) immediately remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down.
- To ensure that you don’t forget to reserve pasta water, FIRST scoop out a cup full of it before you drain your pasta.
- Broccoli rabe (or broccolini) is large, you can always toss it in the water WITH the pasta for the last 2 ½ or 3 minutes of cooking and strain it together, after all it is going into the same dish (this is how I do it).
- To emulsify your pasta with the sauce, use tongs and vigorously toss it around in your sauce. Many of the delicious bits of this dish fall to the bottom of the pan, be sure you scoop them all out and top each plate of pasta with them.
Enjoy this pasta dish alongside a crisp glass of Chardonnay and a crusty loaf of bread, garlic bread or crisp salad. Cheers!
Pasta Recipes To Try
Enjoy! XO Colleen
Recipe originally published February, 2021. Updated October 8, 2024.
Pasta With Pancetta & Broccoli Rabe
This simple yet incredible Pasta with Pancetta & Broccoli Rabe will transport you to a Sicilian Café. Easy to make and easy to customize swapping the rabe for spinach or broccolini.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta bucatini, pappardelle or linguini, etc.
- 6 oz pancetta
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 shallot chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup pasta water
- Handful of broccoli rabe or broccolini
- Salt & black pepper
- ½ cup grated or shredded Pecorino Romano Cheese more for garnish
- Parsley garnish
Instructions
- Start by crisping up your pancetta. If your pancetta is not already chopped into cubes, do so and then toss it in a pan over medium heat stirring often until crisped to your liking. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
- Get your pasta water going and be sure to really salt the water. Like Gordon Ramsay says, you want the water to taste like the ocean.
- In a large sauté pan, add your olive oil, and as soon as the oil heats up, add your shallots and sauté them for a minute or so, moving them around. Quickly add in your red pepper flakes, garlic and pine nuts and sauté for 30 seconds or so (over medium heat) moving them around. Add in your wine and chicken stock and allow it to just come to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, blanch your broccoli rabe in the pasta water for 2 ½ to 3 minutes, then pull them out and toss them into the saucepan. (You can also do this ahead or separately if you wish)
- Cook your pasta to 1-2 minutes under al dente (per package instruction) and SAVE 1 cup of the pasta water. It's always hard to remember to save the water before straining however you need it!
- Turn your sauce back on over medium heat, add your pasta, pasta water, cheese and toss, toss toss. Add in black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning (add salt if you feel it needs it as well as additional red pepper flakes if you want heat). Cooking another minute or two.
Notes
Choose any pasta you enjoy for this recipe. Swap broccoli rabe for broccolini. You can even use spinach as well.
To make garlic breadcrumbs in place of the pancetta or in addition to (it's lovely), heat a little olive oil in a pan, sauté minced garlic for 1 minute or two, add in breadcrumbs (fresh) and if you like red pepper flakes and sauté until golden. Set aside until ready to use. As you serve the pasta, top each plate with a nice amount of the garlic breadcrumbs, yum! Check out my DIY Breadcrumb post here.
Nutrition
Serving: 4servingsCalories: 1050kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 29gFat: 61gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 580mgPotassium: 653mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1709IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 241mgIron: 4mg
Follow me on Tik Tok for 1 minute videos
Leave a Reply