Spaghetti alla Molisana, Pancetta, Herbs and Chilli

Spaghetti alla Molisana is a good traditional dish from Molise. It's packed with flavour and incredibly easy to make. It's made with pancetta, lots of fresh herbs, red chilli for a little heat and lots of Pecorino cheese. solid served with a glass of vino!

This is one of those recipes that's quick, easy and satisfying. It's full of flavour and ready in 30 minutes so it's suited to when you're short on time or too hungry to spend too much time in the kitchen.

It's comforting and good and comes from the beautiful Italian region of Molise. See the recipe below including step-by-step photos and our top recipe tips.

See the photo below, which shows you all the ingredients needed to make this traditional dish. We've also listed some important notes and substitutions.

• Pasta – traditionally spaghetti alla chitarra is used to make this dish but spaghetti is a great substitute.
• White onion – white onions add a good sweetness to dishes and it goes well here with the salty pancetta and spicy chilli. You can also use brown (yellow) onion or a large shallot instead.
• Fresh red chilli – We've made this recipe with dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) and it works well. add a pinch to taste. You want a little heat but nothing overpowering.
• Fresh parsley and basil – use flat-leaf parsley (the herbs must be fresh and not dried).
• Chicken stock – We like to use low-sodium stock the majority of the time, especially when cooking with other salty ingredients (pancetta and pecorino). You can always add salt but can't take it away! Vegetable stock can also be used.
• Pancetta – make sure it's unsmoked and cut into strips or cubes.
• Pecorino Romano – if you don't have this you can use Parmigiano Reggiano.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

1. Prep your ingredients – finely chop the onion, herbs and red chilli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. If your pancetta comes in one whole piece, cut that into cubes or strips too (photo 1).
2. Saute the onion – saute the finely chopped onion in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the onion on a medium-low heat until it's soft and translucent but not browned (about 8-10 minutes) (photos 2 and 3).

1. Fry the pancetta – When your onions are translucent, add the pancetta and chilli and fry the pancetta until the fat is translucent and it's starting to turn golden. The pancetta shouldn't be crispy (see the recipe tips section) (photos 4 and 5).
2. Cook pasta – when the pancetta is almost done, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
3. Add the stock – add the chicken stock to the pancetta and simmer until reduced by half.

1. Add pasta – when the pasta is ready, transfer it to the pancetta and onions using kitchen tongs (this will naturally add some reserved pasta water to the sauce) (photo 6).
2. Add herbs and cheese – add the chopped herbs and pecorino cheese and stir until thoroughly combined and coated. Turn off the heat and serve in bowls topped with more Pecorino cheese (photos 7 and 8).

Recipe Tips

• Salt – both pancetta and pecorino are fairly high in sodium so we don't feel the need to add any additional salt to this. If your pancetta isn't overly salted you can add it to taste.
• Saute onions slowly – it's important to saute the onions on a medium-low heat so they soften but don't brown or burn. They should be soft and translucent (this adds a lot of flavour) and takes about 7-10 minutes.
• Frying the pancetta – the pancetta should be fried until it's starting to turn golden but not crispy. The fat should be translucent. This is the traditional way to prepare Spaghetti alla Molisana but you can cook your pancetta until crispy if you prefer.
• Using red chilli – the amount you use is entirely up to your personal taste. You want a little kick without the whole dish tasting spicy. We used a whole red chilli which wasn't overly hot. If you have a hot chilli you may need to use less. We also remove the seeds but again this is a personal preference.

More good Italian recipes to try

Fish & Seafood

Italian Stuffed Mussels (Cozze Gratinate)

Pasta

Malloreddus alla Campidanese (Sardinian Sausage and Saffron Ragu)

Antipasti

Italian Potato Fritters (Tortei di Patate)

Risotto

Risotto alla Valdostana (Fontina Cheese Risotto)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 14 oz (400g) Spaghetti (or other dried pasta)
• 1 white onion
• 1 fresh red chilli ((see notes))
• 7 oz (200g) pancetta (cut into strips of cubes (unsmoked))
• ⅔ cup (160ml) chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1 cup (15g) fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup (15g) fresh basil
• 1/2 cup (30g) freshly grated pecorino cheese (plus more for serving)
• Olive oil
• Salt

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.

2. Finely chop 1 onion and add it to a large pan with a good drizzle of olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons). Saute the onion on a medium-low heat until soft and translucent but not browned (about 10 minutes).

3. Next, add 1 finely chopped red chilli and saute that with the onion and the chopped pancetta (200g/7oz). Fry the pancetta until the fat is translucent and just starting to turn golden (don't let it go crispy).

4. When the pancetta is almost done, add (14oz/400g) spaghetti to the water and cook until al dente (9-11 minutes or according to packet instructions).

5. Add ⅔ cup (160ml) of chicken stock to the pancetta and let it simmer until it has reduced by half.

6. Once the pasta is al dente, transfer it using kitchen tongs to the pasta sauce and toss it around until it's coated in the pancetta and onions. When you transfer the pasta this way you'll naturally add in some reserved pasta water at the same time.

7. Add the chopped basil and parsley (15g/ 1 cup of each) and (1/2 cup/30g) Pecorino cheese and stir until thoroughly combined.

8. Serve in bowls topped with more Pecorino.

Kitchen notes

• Salt both pancetta and pecorino are fairly high in sodium so we don't feel the need to add any additional salt to this. If your pancetta isn't overly salted you can add it to taste.
• Frying the pancetta the pancetta should be fried until it's starting to turn golden but not crispy. The fat should be translucent. This is the traditional way to prepare Spaghetti alla Molisana but you can cook your pancetta until crispy if you prefer.
• Using red chilli the amount you use is entirely up to your personal taste. You want a little kick without the whole dish tasting spicy. We used a whole red chilli which wasn't overly hot. If you have a hot chilli you may need to use less. We also remove the seeds but again this is a personal preference.