I love Pancetta, but what is it?  The variations and it’s comparison to bacon can be described and debated in hundreds of ways, leaving that task to a better writer than I, especially ones with more time and patience.  That being said, I’ve listed excerpts and links to a number of articles that could better explain it.  Just to put one thing into perspective, I only use 2 variations of the Italian Pancetta, Pancetta affumicata cubetti (Cubed Smoked Bacon) and the thinly sliced version for frying like regular bacon strips.

Pancetta vs. Bacon by Jennifer Armentrout

“Bacon makes everything better.” That’s one of our favorite sayings in the test kitchen, and it helps explain why our recipes frequently call for it, or for its Italian cousin, pancetta. Bacon and pancetta are both made from pork bellies; the difference between them lies in how they’re prepared and cured. To make bacon, pork belly sides are brined and then smoked. Pancetta, the Italian version of bacon, is made by seasoning a pork belly side with salt and lots of pepper, curling it into a tight roll, and wrapping it in a casing to hold the shape. It’s cured, but it isn’t smoked.

“Bacon makes everything better.”

Most people should have ready access to bacon in its various forms—thin-or thick-sliced, slab (unsliced)—but pancetta can be harder to find. Ask at a deli, particularly one that specializes in Italian foods. If they have it, some delis sell it in slices; others might insist you buy a minimum quantity (which they then should be willing to slice). If you can’t find pancetta, you can substitute bacon, but blanch it in boiling water first to reduce its smoky flavor since that isn’t characteristic of pancetta. Unused bacon and pancetta freeze well; wrap a few slices together in individual packets so it’s easy to thaw only the amount you need.

What is Pancetta?

Pancetta is a type of Italian meat, also common in Spain, that is made from pork bellies. It is often called Italian bacon, and has many differences from typical American bacon. Chief among these is that most American bacon is smoked. Italian bacon, on the other hand, is cured meat with salt and several sweet and savory spices like fennel, nutmeg and black pepper. After curing occurs, the bacon is slowly dried.

You’ll note a few forms of pancetta, mostly available in stores that stock a wide variety of meats, especially Italian meats. One form looks like a slab, which can be cut to lengths desired by the customer. Most of the pork belly fat sits on the top of this slab and both top and bottom may have a dark auburn color. The slab version is called stesa in Italy.

Another form of this ham is called rotolata, which is rolled and has a more even distribution of fat and muscle. This type is appropriate if you want to use extremely thin slices of the pancetta for frying. Thin slices could also be placed on a pizza, prior to cooking it. Rotolata is more often used in Spain than Italy.

Stesa is often more commonly found in the US and is usually the preferred form in Italy. It tends not to be served in thin slices, but is instead diced up to add to a variety of dishes. It will add a little fat, salt, spice and flavor, without the smokiness of traditional American bacon.

One of the classic Italian dishes that utilizes stesa is pasta or spaghetti carbonara. Sometimes people refer to this as the Italian bacon and eggs dish. Normally recipes for carbonara call for a small amount of diced pancetta to be added along with ingredients like scrambled eggs, parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. In order to prepare the sauce for carbonara, pancetta is usually cooked first. As with most types of bacon, you should cook stesa or rotolata fully.

Also note that a little of this flavorful ham goes a long way. For a carbonara recipe that serves four people, you’d probably use no more than approximately an ounce (28.35 g) of pancetta per serving. Due to the fat content in this Italian meat, you’ll also note that small pieces cook down pretty quickly.

Note : There are two types of the pictured pancetta cubetti (above) available in european supermarkets, one is the aforementioned ‘PANCETTA AFFUMICATA’ and the other is ‘PANCETTA DOLCE’ .  Dolce being the mild version, I still have no idea to this day why this is on the market, and what it’s used for.  The majority of my recipes call for the saliva-tingly Affumicata for soups, pastas, and whatever else floats your culinary boat.  Please do leave a comment if you have an idea of what the Dolce is good for.

Tags: bacon, cooking, cubetti, dolce, fiorucci, ingredients, pancetta