John Pleshette's Tagliatelle with Endive and Bacon

Tagliatelle with Endive and Bacon

There wasn't much in the larder except a couple of Belgian endive and some bacon, when I remembered a pasta dish I hadn't made in a long time -- tagliatelle with endive and bacon, compliments of the mistress of simplicity, Marcella Hazan.

Bon Appetit,

Chef John

Tagliatelle with Endive and Bacon

Ingredients:
1 pound of tagliatelle
1/2 pound of slab bacon or pancetta
butter
4 medium Belgian endive
1/2 cup of heavy cream
parmesan cheese
fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt.
2. Melt 2 tbsps of butter in a deep-sided sauté pan with a lid.  Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and brown in the butter. 
3. Meanwhile, trim ends off endive.  Slice lengthwise in quarters, leaving about an inch at the base, so the endives hold together. 
4. Add endive to the bacon, salt lightly and season with ground pepper.  Cover and cook on a low flame for about 15 minutes, until the endives have collapsed and rendered their liquid.
5. Raise heat and cook off most of the liquid.  Add heavy cream and reduce by half.
6. Put the pasta in to boil.  Cook 6-8 minutes or until the tagliatelle is al dente.  
7. Drain and dump into the pan with the endive.   Raise heat and toss tagliatelle with the endive so it absorbs some of the liquid.  Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese.  Toss lightly.  Garnish with Italian parsley. 

Serves 4

CellarWise Wine Pairing

A common temptation in matching wine with food is to try too hard.  This regional Italian dish will benefit from a similarly-traditional wine, and Piedmont’s signature grape, Nebbiolo, is the ticket.  While that might mean Barolo or Barbaresco if you’ve got $60 - $300 to throw at tonight’s wine, a more useful choice would be the “common” wines from many of the region’s best producers.  These wines, labeled either Nebbiolo d’Alba or Nebbiolo delle Langhe, are 100% Nebbiolo.  Three recent examples are the ’07 Elio Grasso Nebbiolo d’Alba “Gavarini” ($24), the ’06 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo delle Langhe ($17), and the ’06 Ruggeri Corsini Nebbiolo delle Langhe ($18), all of which are excellent.  Note:  wines labeled “Langhe Rosso” can contain Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot, and others.  While fine wines, their style and price typically miss the spirit of this match.