336g dried egg pappardelle (the best Italian brand you can find)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
140g pancetta, cut into 3/4″ pieces (about a cup)
8 whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
Kosher salt
2 dried chiles, crumbled
2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add pancetta and crumbled chiles. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stewing the pancetta until it turns golden.
Squeeze juice out of the tomatoes, leaving the flesh intact. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the saute pan and season with salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to caramelize and color the oil. Stir often and adjust the heat if needed, to ensure that the tomatoes don’t burn.
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve about a cup of the cooking water.
Stir cream into the tomato sauce and continue to cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce binds together. Add pasta to the pan and using a wooden spoon toss it around gently. Stir in half the cheese and add enough of the reserved pasta water so sauce is glossy and coats the noodles. Serve with remaining cheese sprinkled over the top. Serves: 4