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Speck and Cream Pasta

  • 2 days ago
  • 2 min read

Learn how to make a creamy speck pasta with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano cream sauce in this quick and easy recipe. This Italian-inspired pasta combines smoky speck, rich melted cheeses, and fresh chives to create a silky and flavorful sauce. In this video, you’ll see how to crisp the speck and build a smooth cheese cream sauce. It’s a simple pasta recipe that’s perfect for weeknight dinners, date nights, or anyone who loves authentic Italian flavors.



SPECK AND CREAM PASTA

Recipe by Mark Calaminici | Food Loves Company

Serves 4


Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil, just a drizzle

200g Speck, sliced into strips or small pieces

15g fresh chives, sliced fine

500ml heavy cream

1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed

60g unsalted butter

Salt, to taste

Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Nutmeg, to taste

1-2 Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds, optional

Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, to taste, more for garnish

Grana Padano, finely grated, to taste, more for garnish

500g Spaghetti or any pasta you like



Method


  1. In a pan on low-medium-high heat, add a drizzle of Extra virgin olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the speck and render until crispy, moving around often. Remove speck to a plate lined with paper towel. You will see the pan may have some fond developing and that will get released later. Depending on how much fat was rendered you can remove some of it.


  1. In a sauce pot on low-medium heat, add cream, garlic, butter and season with salt, freshly cracked pepper and nutmeg. Add the rinds and let simmer and reduce, about 30-40 minutes. Stirring often to make sure the rinds don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once done, add as much grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano as you like. You don’t need both cheeses, but they do add a nice balance when together. Stir in to melt the cheese and thicken the sauce. Give a taste and adjust any seasonings and then pour the cream sauce through a strainer. Add the strained cream sauce to the pasta pan with the rendered speck fat and leave on low heat to warm the sauce.


3. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water just before al dente, as we will finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Reserve pasta water.



4. Once the pasta is ready, add pasta to the pan with a ladle of pasta water, some speck and chives, save some for garnish if you like. Continue to cook the pasta in the pan, stirring and tossing, adding more pasta water if needed. Turn off the heat or remove the pan from the head and add more Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana padano, a handful at a time and mix and toss to incorporate into the pasta. You can add more pasta water if you want a bit of a looser sauce. Plate it up with some extra sauce, speck, chives and of course more grated cheese.



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