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Risotto-style Spaghetti with Artichokes and Pancetta

17/11/2023

Risotto-style spaghetti is a delicious variation of traditional risottos and a fine example of how pasta can be cooked using different techniques to obtain a creamy and flavorful dish. Here is the recipe for making risotto-style spaghetti with artichokes and pancetta.

Ingredients

  • 320 g of spaghetti
  • 300 g of artichoke hearts (fresh or frozen)
  • 100 g of smoked pancetta, diced
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 100 ml of dry white wine
  • 1 liter of hot vegetable broth (you might need less or more)
  • Extra virgin olive oil as needed
  • Salt and pepper as needed
  • grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
  • Chopped parsley, for garnish

Optional: a few lemon slices or lemon zest to add freshness to the dish.

Preparation

  1. If you’re using fresh artichokes, clean them by removing the tough outer leaves, the tips, and the inner choke, then cut them into wedges and place them in water acidulated with lemon to prevent them from darkening. If using frozen artichokes, they are generally ready to use.

  2. In a large pan or a high-sided pot, sauté the finely chopped shallot in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it becomes translucent.

  3. Add the diced pancetta and let it brown until it becomes crispy.

  4. Drain the artichokes from the acidulated water and add them to the sauté in the pan. Let them cook for a few minutes, then deglaze with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.

  5. Add the spaghetti to the pan with the artichokes and pancetta and start toasting the pasta, stirring for about a minute.

  6. At this point, begin to add the hot vegetable broth a little at a time, just as you would with a risotto. Let the spaghetti absorb the broth before adding the next ladleful, stirring often.

  7. Continue to cook by adding broth a little at a time and stirring frequently, until the spaghetti is al dente; this normally takes about 12-15 minutes, but taste the pasta to check its doneness.

  8. Once the spaghetti is al dente, if necessary, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

  9. Turn off the heat and cream the spaghetti with the grated Parmesan to make it creamy.

  10. Serve the spaghetti, sprinkling with fresh chopped parsley and, if you like, add some lemon zest or a few slices of lemon for a touch of freshness.

Serve immediately while the dish is still warm and creamy.

Trivia

Risotto-style spaghetti is not a traditional Italian preparation but an innovative example of using risotto cooking techniques applied to pasta. This technique allows for an intensely amalgamated flavor, ensuring that each individual spaghetti strand is enveloped in the flavor of the other ingredients.

Risotto-style Spaghetti with Artichokes and Pancetta