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AFFETTATO
MISTO
The affettato misto (mixed
cured meats) is the classic
Italian antipasto. It is served in
practically every restaurant in
Italy. It requires no preparation
other than a trip to the deli
plus the time it takes to unwrap
your salume. However, this does
not mean that it’s a thoughtless
exercise. In fact, serving a good
affettato is an art in itself.
There are no hard and
fast rules, but a few guiding
principles do help. The first is to
keep things simple and to try to
keep within the regions. If I am
at home in Emilia-Romagna, I
will always make a local affettato
– three slices of prosciutto crudo,
three slices of coppa, two slices of
pancetta, two slices of local salami,
and served with either bread or
chisolini (small squares of deep-
fried bread dough) and a small
serving of gardiniera (sweet and
sour vegetables).
In the recipe pictured above,
however, I was in the mountains
and opted for a more rugged
version – as, in fact, availability
of ingredients dictated. I used
two slices of lardo, three slices
of bresaola, two slices each of
traditional pork salami, wild
boar salami and a cooked salami.
I served it with a crostini topped
with black truffle paste and
a thick slice of nostrano semi-
stagionata (local medium-matured
cheese). I can’t be more specific
about the cheese as it’s nostrano
and that’s all they will tell you at
the deli counter. We’ll come to
this later on in the series.
PANCETTA
Of all the salumi, it is pancetta that Italians cook with
most often. Pancetta can come in many forms – smoked,
unsmoked, rolled or flat. It is made from the belly of
the pig and it is the closest that the Italians get to bacon.
Practically every region of Italy makes some form of
pancetta. Here in Piacenza, the pancetta has achieved
DOP status and is regarded as one of the best of its
kind. The meat is simply seasoned by hand, rolled
and hung to dry for a couple of months. The local
microclimate is left to do the rest.
Although it might look like bacon, Italians generally don’t fry it in the pan and eat it
between two slices of bread or with eggs – although in moments of nostalgia I have to
admit that I have done so myself. Usually it’s either eaten raw, in an affettato as an antipasto,
or it is cooked with other ingredients. The following recipe, bucatini all’amatriciana, is a
classic and it’s one of the few where a particular type of pasta has become known by the
sauce. The dish comes from Amatrice (in Lazio) and its history is disputed. Some puritans
will argue that the dish must be made using guanciale (cured pork cheek), but I have found
that pancetta is a more than acceptable substitute.
Bucatini with pancetta, tomato and chilli
Bucatini all’amatriciana
➤ SERVES 4 ➤ PREPARATION 5 minutes ➤ COOKING 10-12 minutes
• 320g bucatini pasta
• 150g pancetta, diced
• 1 small onion, peeled, finely sliced
• 6-8 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, if in season, or use a tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 heaped tbsp grated pecorino cheese
• 1 small fresh or dried chilli, finely chopped
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Begin by bringing a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. While you are waiting,
gently fry the onion in a frying pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. The water should
be boiling at this point, so add your pasta.
2 While the pasta is cooking, add the pancetta to the onions and cook until browned. Next,
add the tomatoes. Add the chilli to the pan and check for seasoning. Allow the sauce to
simmer until the pasta is cooked.
3 Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan, stirring well to combine all the
ingredients. Top with the pecorino cheese and serve immediately.
August 2018 ITALIA! 67