An Italian cured pork belly that is seasoned with salt, pepper, and spices, then rolled and aged but not smoked. It has a silky texture and concentrated pork flavor, often used as a flavoring agent in pasta dishes and sauces.
From Italian 'pancetta,' diminutive of 'pancia' meaning 'belly,' ultimately from Latin 'pantex' (paunch or belly). The term literally means 'little belly,' referring to the cut of pork used. The preparation method has remained traditional in Italian charcuterie for centuries.
Pancetta is like Italian bacon's sophisticated cousin—while bacon is smoked, pancetta is salt-cured and aged, giving it a cleaner, more concentrated pork flavor without the smoky overlay. The rolling technique (arrotolata) creates beautiful spiral patterns when sliced, and because it's not smoked, it melts more cleanly into dishes, providing pure pork flavor that enhances rather than dominates ingredients like delicate pasta sauces.
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