Penne pasta tossed with a creamy sauce made with guanciale (or pig jowls), garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and sage.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
1poundpenne pasta
1tablespoonolive oil
8ouncesguanciale or southern style pig jowlscured pig cheeks, sliced into thin strips
¼cupchopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
5clovesgarlichalved
6fresh sage leaves
½cupHalf and Half
1cupgrated Pecorino cheese
½teaspoonground black pepper
¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the guanciale, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Take care not to let the guanciale burn or the garlic get too brown. If you think the garlic is browning too fast, you can remove it from the pan and add it back when finishing the sauce.
When the guanciale is nicely browned, drain all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Discard the fat and return the pan to the heat. Add the sage and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the half and half, pepper, and Pecorino cheese. Stir just until the cheese is melted.
Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water. Add the pasta to the skillet with the guanciale sauce. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add some of the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce if needed. Taste and add additional pepper if needed.
Serve with additional grated Pecorino and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.