Spring greens and pancetta pasta

This recipe comes not from a cookbook, but from the web; more precisely, from Admin at Nigella.com. It is, however, clearly inspired by the fabby farfalle with pancetta and Savoy cabbage from The Return of the Naked Chef, although this version is simpler and quicker. I am a big fan of Jamie's dish and was eager to try a variant on it; I am a bit of a fan of spring greens (and a lot of a fan of pancetta).

The recipe couldn't be easier: cook pasta as usual; meanwhile, shred a head of spring greens. Fry pancetta in oil until it crisps up a bit; add chopped garlic, the shredded greens and grated Parmesan and stir; cook until the greens are wilted and toss with the pasta. Serve with black pepper.


This pasta had lots of flavour but still managed to taste clean and zingy, somehow; it felt like a dish that could usher in the beginning of spring. I altered the recipe marginally in that I added some cooking water from the pasta to add flavour and I also grated Parmesan for the table. I would definitely make it again. It doesn't have the depth of flavour of Jamie's original but it is lighter and more vibrant somehow; it works really well.

On a nonfoodie note, the weather seems to be changing at last; the skies were blue all day today and the sun was surprisingly warm when I went shopping at lunchtime. The shops were full of spring clothes, in lighter shades than the wintry colours that have been dominating the racks. It still doesn't seem to be prime sandal-buying season yet though - the choice of summer shoes is not yet (I hope) in full glory. But for the first time this year, I could almost imagine taking off the high wedge black boots that have been imprisoning my feet for most of the winter, painting my toenails shell pink, and buying myself some pretty little summer sandals. OK, so we aren't quite there yet. Still - it feels a lot closer.