So, some days ago, I made a cured egg yolk...........I have forever been curious about it. How to make it and what to use it for.
Finally after successfully making the yolk, I needed to use it. I was soooooooo excited. One of the ways of using it is of course as a Parmesan substitute and so it made sense to make a pasta dish.
Given that making the pasta dish was on impulse, I had to use whatever I found at hand in the kitchen which is what led me to make the rigatoni. Granted, it is a super simple dish but it packs a punch with flavour. Did I mention you will have a meal in 15 minutes?
Serves 2
2 tbs olive oil
150g chopped collar and streaky bacon (If you can find pancetta, all the better)
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can whole tomatoes with juices, crushed by hand
200g Rigatoni
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup finely grated salt cured egg or pecorino
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté until it starts to brown. Add onion, garlic and black pepper and cook until the onions are soft.
Put the tomatoes, bay leaf and chili in, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
In a separate large pot, boil some water, season with salt and a dash of oil; add the pasta and cook according to instructions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
Add drained pasta to the sauce in the pan and mix it up making sure all the pasta is coated. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook for about 3 minutes. (Add a little pasta water if sauce is too dry) Serve into your pasta bowl and garnish with the cured egg yolk.