Penne with Italian Sausage, Pancetta & Pecorino

Finely shredded pancetta, an Italian style of cured bacon, adds an authentic touch to this European Penne with Italian Sausage, Pancetta and Pecorino dish.

Penne with Italian Sausage, Pancetta and Pecorino

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

6 slices (80g) mild pancetta, finely shredded

5 Italian sausages (650g)

3 eggs

50g pecorino, finely grated

1/3 cup lemon juice

500g penne

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped (or 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn)

Method

1 Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towel. Remove sausage meat from casing. Add sausage mince to frying pan and using a wooden spoon or potato masher break meat up, cooking for 5 minutes or until browned.

2 Meanwhile, add pasta to a large saucepan of boiling salted water. Cook until just tender as per packet instructions. Drain and return to saucepan.

3 Whisk eggs, pecorino and lemon juice in a bowl. Add egg mixture to hot pasta with pancetta and sausage, stirring until well combined. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with parsley or basil.