Ricotta, Bacon and Gorgonzola Pasta

Written By Scotty Jeffus

Today’s pasta dish is actually inspired by an incredible pizza that I enjoyed recently at my favorite spot in Gig Harbor, maybe in all of the state of Washington even, Millville Pizza Company. I could go on and on about how amazing of a place Millville is with their woodfired oven that cranks out incredible pizzas that taste as good as the stuff you can get in Italy, but that’s for another day.

What I will tell you is the particular pizza in question, what they called the Chinook, was topped with a ricotta based sauce, shallots, gorgonzola, bacon and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, giving an explosion of flavor with creamy, funky, salty, sweet that makes my mouth water.

Well, being the pasta lover that I am, I had to wonder just how good this combination would be in a pasta dish and I’d say I was successful! And I will be sharing you that glory now.

Serves 4

  • Salt

  • 8 oz cubed pancetta (or regular bacon)

  • 1/2 pound rigatoni or any pasta you have in your pantry

  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced

  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola

  • Balsamic Glaze

(I’m using store bought balsamic glaze, but if you want to go the extra mile and make your own, then simply heat up equal parts balsamic vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then leave it to cool)

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Dump the pancetta into a wide frying pan, then heat over medium for about 10 minutes, or until the pancetta is brown and crisp.

  2. While the pancetta cooks, boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.

  3. Once the pancetta is brown, pour off all but a thin layer of the rendered fat, then add in the shallots and garlic, and cook for a few minutes, or until the shallots just start to brown, but are certainly not burnt. (If the pasta isn’t quite ready by this time, then just take it off the heat for a moment.)

  4. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water then drain. Add the pasta to the pan with the pancetta along with the ricotta and 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir to combine, then cook until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta nicely, adding more pasta water if necessary. Season with pepper and salt, careful with the salt as there is pancetta in there, then you’re ready to serve.

  5. Divide among bowls, then top with gorgonzola and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Scotty Jeffus
Next

Italian Hero Pasta