A little carbonara-y, but with a zesty twist. This creamy, glossy, citrusy sauce pairs perfectly with salty pancetta. Toasted breadcrumbs on top add just the right amount of textural interest. Use any kind of pasta you like…bucatini is just my personal favorite.
What to Notice
- Pasta water is like a magic ingredient. It’s starchy, salty and is the secret to any silky and luscious pasta sauce. So, when you get to the stage in the recipe of needing to add your pasta water, add just a little at a time and look at the consistency. You want it to coat the pasta nicely. You don’t want it to leave a puddle of sauce on your plate, but to just nicely stick to the noodles.
- Toasted breadcrumbs—especially panko—are such a nice way to add texture to pasta dishes. Just watch them as they cook to assess if they’re ready. Too pale and they won’t have much flavor. Look for a nice golden brown, then they’re ready for topping. Put as many or as few in as you’d like!
- Love lemon? Feel free to top your pasta with even more lemon zest. Not the biggest fan? Zest half the lemon instead of the whole thing.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb bucatini
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup mascarpone
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan plus a little more for serving
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 ounces of diced pancetta
- ¼ – ½ cup of reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- A good bit of freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, mascarpone, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, grated parmesan, salt and pepper and set aside.
- Get a large pot of water boiling and throw in your bucatini. Cook according to the package directions (usually 8-10 minutes). While the pasta is boiling, cook your pancetta in a pan over medium low heat until nicely browned (about 5-7 minutes) then set it aside. Once your pasta is al dente, take a heat-proof measuring cup or a coffee mug and scoop out about ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside before draining the pasta.
- Now, place the drained pasta back in the pot and stir in your ricotta mixture, mixing well with all the bucatini. It will look pretty thick. Slowly drizzle in some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce and make it nice and creamy.
- Before serving, warm a tablespoon of butter to a small pan over medium heat and add your panko with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook just a few minutes until it starts to get golden. Top your pasta with the pancetta, panko and a little extra parmesan and serve.
