Experience the taste of Tuscany with this delightful side dish, Peas with Pancetta (rr Rigatino, as it is called in Tuscany.) recipe. A Sunday lunch favorite, it pairs perfectly with roasts and is loved by everyone.
Peas & Pancetta (Alla Fiorentina): the Tuscan side dish
Ingredients Â
- 3 cups frozen or fresh peas
- 3.5 oz Tuscan Pancetta bacon, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
- Chicken broth as needed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Olive oil as needed
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Pancetta: Remove the rind from the pancetta and slice it and then cut it into short, thin strips.3.5 oz Tuscan Pancetta
- Cook Pancetta: In a saucepan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the pancetta. Cook gently to melt the fat without browning too much.Olive oil as needed
- Add Garlic and Peas: Add cleaned, sliced, or slightly crushed garlic cloves to the saucepan. After flavoring, add the peas, chopped parsley, and a teaspoon of sugar.3 cups frozen or fresh peas, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 bunch parsley
- Simmer: Cover the peas with warm chicken broth and season lightly with salt. Cook over moderate heat until the peas are tender.Chicken broth as needed, Salt to taste
- Serve: Once ready, serve the dish warm.Pepper to taste
Notes
- Tuscan Rigatino, also known as pancetta, is a traditional Italian delicacy from Tuscany, featured among Italy’s traditional agricultural food products. Especially prevalent in the province of Grosseto, it’s a year-round treat. The tender pork meat blends with the zest of pepper, creating a unique flavor that’s sure to delight your taste buds. When sliced, it reveals layers of deep pink meat and deliciously marbled white and pink fat, melting delightfully in your mouth.
- If serving to children, replace pancetta with chicken breast pieces.
- Garlic lovers can leave whole cloves in the dish, slightly crushed. For those who prefer, substitute with a bit of chopped onion.
Peas and Rigatino Pancetta: A Sunday Favorite from Tuscany
Have you ever tried Peas with Rigatino, a popular side dish from Florence, Italy? It’s a mix of cooked peas and a special kind of bacon called rigatino.
You can find this dish often on Sunday lunch menus, and it goes great with roast meats. Everyone seems to love it! Check out more traditional dishes from Florence here.
So, what’s rigatino? It’s a unique bacon from Tuscany. It comes from the upper part of a pig, where they get lard and pancetta. Rigatino is mostly lean meat with some fat, making it flavorful. It’s cured with spices, giving it a fantastic smell and taste.
To make Rigatino, they season the meat with garlic and salt and keep the skin on. After resting for a week, they wash it in vinegar. This takes away extra salt and garlic. Then, they add lots of pepper and chili.
The meat is hung in a cool, airy place for a few months to age perfectly. Rigatino is also great just by itself, eaten with traditional Tuscan bread.
Now, about the dish itself! Peas with Rigatino combine soft peas and the tasty rigatino. The peas stay bright green and sweet, while the rigatino adds a savory, slightly salty flavor.
When you eat them together, the taste is amazing. It’s a flavor mix that might make you want more and more.
Awesome side dish! 😛