2151. LEEK and BACON PAPPARDELLE with MUSHROOM PANGRATTATO

For the pappardelle:
300 grams pasta flour
3 medium eggs
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

For the Mushroom Pangrattato:
6 slices of stale bread
10 grams dried mushrooms (e.g, porcini)
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
a few fresh rosemary leaves

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 rashers smoked back bacon, chopped
3 large leeks, washed and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 glass white wine
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
parmesan, grated
25 grams butter

Start off by making the pasta dough, and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. For the sauce, heat the oil in the pan and fry off the bacon until it just starts to color. Add the leeks, garlic and thyme and sweat for a few minutes. Add the white wine and bring to the boil for 30 seconds before adding the stock. Bring back to the boil, season with salt & pepper and simmer, covered until the leeks soften (15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Make the pangrattato by blitzing the stale bread and dried mushrooms in a food processor to form fine crumbs. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook for a few seconds. Add the crumb mixture and a little salt and pepper. Gently fry off until crunchy and golden brown, but don’t allow to stick or burn. Rollout the pasta and cut into ribbons, 20mm wide (pappardelle). Cook pasta in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, until al dente. Drain (but reserve some of the liquid) the pasta into the leek sauce. Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding the parmesan, butter and a little reserved pasta water to make a sauce if necessary. Check seasoning. Dish up the pasta and sprinkle with the mushroom pangrattato


bacon recipe courtesy of: James Bonfield, James's Recipes, March 21, 2010