There’s not much opportunity for me to cook, being a single gal and all. But for the past two weeks, my friend Amanda has been staying at the house while she waits to move into her own apartment. So it’s the perfect chance to practice my cooking skills.
This is a great recipe for quiche (or torte, whatever you want to call it). It’s light and I love the combo of the 3 P’s: pancetta, parsley and parmesan. It’s easy to make and takes no time at all. Which is the main reason I love it so much because in a pinch, I can whip this up and in about 40 minutes I have a great lunch for friends or anyone that’s stopping by.
For the crust I just pick up a frozen pie shell from the grocery store. It saves alot of time. Giada’s recipe also calls for adding salt, but I find that the saltiness of the pancetta is more than enough to give this dish the flavour that it needs.
Pancetta and Parmesan Torte
Courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis, Foodtv.com
1 refrigerated pie crust, room temperature
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan
Position the rack on the bottom third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels and drain. Beat the cream, milk, eggs, parsley, salt (optional) and pepper in a medium bown to blend. Stir in the cheese and pancetta. Pour the mixture into the crust.
Bake the torte until the filling puffs and is golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. Let the torte cool for 15 minutes. Cut into 12 thin wedges and serve.
