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Pasta with pesto and guanciale is a delicious Italian dish that combines the flavors of a classic basil pesto sauce with the rich and savory taste of guanciale, which is an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl. Here’s a simple recipe to make this mouthwatering dish:
Ingredients
Units Scale
- 12 ounces (about 340g) of your favorite pasta (spaghetti or linguine work well)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3–4 ounces (about 85-115g) of guanciale, diced
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine the fresh basil leaves, grated Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and peeled garlic cloves. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth and creamy pesto sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set the pesto sauce aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Remember to reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced guanciale and sauté until it becomes crispy and golden brown. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Remove the guanciale from the skillet and drain it on paper towels to remove excess grease.
- Once the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the pot. Add the prepared pesto sauce and toss to coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out by adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water a little at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.
- Stir in the crispy guanciale pieces and toss them with the pasta and pesto.
- Serve the pasta in individual plates or bowls, garnishing with extra grated Parmesan cheese or grated Pecorino Romano, if desired.