Pasta with Pancetta and Fennel

Rather than ordering takeaway, a few handy ingredients transform into a delicious, homey relaxing dinner.  This is my take on a Three Blue Ducks recipe.  
Simple, no stress, maximum flavour, comfort food.
We thoroughly recommend visiting The Farm Cafe Byron Bay and visiting Handmade Uki in the beautiful Uki township nearby.             Enjoy!     Colleen

Pasta Pancetta Fennel by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation and cooking time  approx 20 minutes
Serves 4   depending on amount of pasta cooked

Ingredients
400 to 500 gram Pasta (depends on appetite)  have fun with the shapes.
I like to use Casarecce, Fusilli or Tagliatelle - just cook to packet time

2 tablespoons Pine Nuts (optional)
1  1/2  teaspoons Fennel Seeds  

splash Olive Oil  
1 red onion - finely sliced

100 gram to 200 gram pancetta - finely chopped   (I find 100 gram is enough)
OR  some Italian pork and fennel sausages - remove casing and roughly chop

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (to your taste)
1 cup Salt reduced chicken stock (or make it from Massel chicken style stock powder)
1 cup baby Peas (frozen is fine - allow to defrost a little)
80 - 100 ml cream
50 gram grated parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Some fresh dill - chopped  OR  parsley OR chives
PS  ingredients are quite salty so unlikely you need to add any more salt

Method 
Cook your pasta according to packet directions in a large saucepan.  I allow 15 minutes for water to boil and pasta to cook.  Most pastas take approx 10 minutes.

As soon as you start boiling the pasta water:
Heat a large deep pan and dry toast pine nuts.  Remove for later.
Then dry toast fennel seeds til fragrant.  Remove and crush seeds.
Now the water should be boiling so start cooking the pasta in your saucepan.

Using the frypan - 
heat a splash of oil and fry the onion, fennel, chilli and pancetta well. 
Add chicken stock and allow to reduce slightly
Stir through peas, cream and most of the parmesan. (reserve some for garnish)
Check pasta - should be almost cooked.  When ready - drain pasta.
Add the cooked pasta to the creamy pancetta sauce.  
Stir through the pine nuts, dill and cracked pepper to taste.
Serve with a scattering of reserved parmesan

Handmade Uki . full of handmade treasures. near Mt Warning. NSW 

     

The Farm at Byron Bay

The Farm at Byron Bay

Enjoy!    Colleen