Earthy, woodsy herbs and salty pancetta, both crisped in rendered pancetta fat, infuse this simple spaghetti dish with savory depth. Parmesan cheese adds nutty, umami notes and red pepper flakes add a kick of heat, rounding everything out. Orange is a surprise ingredient in the dish. We love the muted sweetness and acidity of orange zest and juice, which nicely balance the richness of the cheese and pork. Lemon is a fine substitute.
Notes
Don’t use pre-sliced pancetta; ¼-inch cubes—packaged or hand cut—are ideal for texture and even distribution throughout the dish. Sliced pancetta will taste fine, but it browns less evenly and may clump when stirred into the pasta.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 4 ounces pancetta - chopped
- 4 tablespoons salted butter - cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, divided
- 3 medium garlic cloves - thinly sliced
- 12-15 fresh sage leaves - thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ¾-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese - finely grated (1 cup), plus more to serve
Instructions
Cook the pasta:
- In a large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil.
- Add 2 teaspoons salt and the pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente.
- Reserve 1½ cups of the cooking water, then drain and set aside.
Cook the aromatics:
- To the same pot over medium, add the pancetta. Cook, stirring, until it has rendered some of its fat and begins to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, followed by the garlic, sage and rosemary; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the herbs begin to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, orange zest and juice, pasta and 1 cup reserved pasta water.
Finish with Parmesan:
- Off heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the Parmesan.
- Toss, adding more reserved pasta water as needed so the sauce coats the pasta.
- Serve sprinkled with additional Parmesan.