TDG: Desperate Measures: Pasta Bible Pasta

[Fat Guy]

Mezze Maniche Rigate with Scallions

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[snowangel]

THANKS!!! I have 2 lbs. of this pasta (de ceccho; I got it at a local place and was intrigued by the size), a mess of scallions, eggs, but not much else in the larder, and almost a foot of snow on the ground, so no trip to the market tomorrow. I was just thinking of what I could put on the table tomorrow night...

[mamster]

My work here is done! (Until next week.)

snowangel, that rules. I hope you like it.

[Jonathan Day]

Matthew, thanks for a great essay. When you are ready for some real food shopping, hop a plane to London.

And thanks for a recipe that I will try soon. One query: why would you cook the egg yolks at all? Would not the heat from the pasta do that, as with a spaghetti alla carbonara?

[Jason Perlow]

Yes, I was thinking this recipe was much like spaghetti a la carbonara.

I wonder if it could benefit from some peices of crispy thick-cut bacon, prosciutto or pancetta.

[mamster]

You're not really cooking the egg yolks. It's fine if the pan of scallions cools to room temp before you add the eggs. Jason, is there anything that couldn't benefit from pancetta? I can't put pancetta in the recipe every week.

Thanks for the props, JD. I love shopping in London, although I don't get to do it nearly as often as I'd like.

[snowangel]

My work here is done!  (Until next week.)

snowangel, that rules.  I hope you like it.

Everyone loved it. It is now in my repertoire of "what to fix with little time and just about nothing in the larder.

And, why can't you include something like bacon or pancetta in the recipe every week?

[Jason Perlow]

I can't put pancetta in the recipe every week.

Awwwww.

[LaurieA-B]

I wonder if it could benefit from some pieces of crispy thick-cut bacon, prosciutto or pancetta.

While I tend to be in the "Add two strips bacon, and serve" camp, I love this pasta just as it is. Something about the delicate flavor of the scallions and parsley, with the silky richness of the sauce underneath... I think bacon might overpower the other ingredients. It would probably taste great, though, so try it as a variation.

[Jinmyo]

mamster, enough with ripping off recipes from books. Just do it. Earn your pancetta.

Looking forward to the next installment.

[mamster]

Jinmyo, I promise next week I will not be ripping off a recipe from a book. It'll be ripped off from a restaurant that got it from a book.

I do have some originals to offer, and probably more as time goes by. One will be in the column after next, and it includes pancetta.

[Jason Perlow]

Ok, I adapted it:

Mezze Rigatoni con Pancetta i Cipolla Verde

In my adaption I cooked chopped pancetta in its own juices on medium heat for 5 minutes, then I reduced the heat and threw in the scallions for an addtional 12 minutes with half the quantity of butter added.

I also used 2 beaten whole eggs in the cheese/parsley/scallion mixture instead of just the yolks.

I used a 16oz bag of Mezze Rigatoni cause I couldnt find the other stuff.

Yummy.

[mamster]

No, that's exactly the stuff, Jason--looks awesome! I write it, it gets cooked up in New Jersey. The power is going to my head already.

[Jason Perlow]

Its a great dish. Definitely gonna be a repeat one in this house.

[vengroff]

Here is Jason's recipe for Mezze Rigatoni con Pancetta i Cipolla Verde.