Tagliatelle with peas, guanciale mascarpone and summer herbs

Matt Tebbutt recipe

Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 2

Dietary
Vegetarian

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

 

Ingredients

For the tagliatelle:

  • 00 flour: 350g/12oz
  • Fine semolina flour: 25g/1oz, plus 50g/1¾oz for dusting
  • Free-range eggs: 2, beaten with 4 free-range egg yolks

For the guanciale and pea sauce:

  • Olive oil: 2 tbsp
  • Guanciale, thinly sliced: 100g/3½oz
  • Garlic cloves, sliced: 2
  • Frozen petit pois: 100g/3½oz
  • Mascarpone: 1 heaped tbsp
  • Double cream: 50–100ml/2–3½fl oz
  • Fontina, grated: 50g/1¾oz
  • Parmesan, grated: 30g/1oz
  • Fresh tarragon: bunch chopped
  • Fresh flatleaf parsley: bunch chopped
  • Fresh chives: bunch chopped
  • Fried breadcrumbs: 30g/1oz
Alternative Ingredients

Here are some suitable alternatives for guanciale:

  1. Pancetta: This is the most commonly recommended substitute. It’s an Italian bacon made from pork belly, cured but usually not smoked. Use it in a 1:1 ratio
  2. Bacon: Regular bacon can be used, though it will add a smokier flavour. Consider blanching it first to reduce smokiness. Use in a 1:1 ratio
  3. Pork belly: Very similar to guanciale, though it may have slightly less fat

When substituting, keep in mind that guanciale has a unique flavour profile due to its curing process and fat content. While these alternatives can work well, they may slightly alter the traditional taste of dishes like carbonara or amatriciana. Pancetta is generally considered the closest substitute in terms of flavour and texture

Method

Pasta Dough Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, combine 00 flour and semolina flour.
  2. Add beaten eggs and 2 tbsp water to the flour mixture.
  3. Mix ingredients with a fork, then use hands to form a dough.
  4. Knead until smooth, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Rolling and Cutting the Pasta

  1. Divide the chilled dough into four equal pieces.
  2. Dust a work surface with semolina flour.
  3. Take one piece of dough and roll it into a 5mm/¼in thick rectangle.
  4. Cover remaining dough pieces with a damp tea towel to prevent drying.
  5. Using a pasta machine: a. Start with the widest setting, feed the dough through. b. Fold and repeat 4-5 times. c. Gradually decrease the setting, passing the dough through each time. d. Continue until desired thickness is achieved (penultimate or final setting). e. If the sheet becomes too long, cut it in half.
  6. Feed final pasta sheets through the tagliatelle cutting attachment.

Cooking the Pasta

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Cook pasta for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Strain, reserving some cooking water.

Preparing the Sauce

  1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Fry guanciale until crispy.
  3. Add garlic and peas.
  4. Stir in mascarpone, cream, fontina, and most of the Parmesan (reserve some for serving).
  5. Melt ingredients together.
  6. Add cooked pasta and a splash of reserved cooking water.
  7. Stir in herbs.

Serving

  1. Transfer pasta and sauce to a serving bowl.
  2. Top with fried breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan.
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