Love pancetta! I used some recently to make pancetta cups with goat cheese and pears as an appetizer. It was so delicious! Here's the recipe in case anyone is interested.
Pancetta Cups with Goat Cheese and Pears
makes 16 cups
16 thin slices (about 1/2 pound) of pancetta (not paper thin)
1 large or 2 small pears, peeled, cored and diced (I like to use Comice pears)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 ounces mild goat cheese
1 Tablespoon half-and-half
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Honey to drizzle
Snuggly fit the slices of pancetta into the wells of a mini-muffin pan. To help keep their shape while baking, ball up a small piece of aluminum foil and place into a pancetta cup. Repeat with the remaining cups. Place the pan into a cold oven and close the door. Turn the oven to 400º F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pancetta is browned and crisp. Carefully remove the cups, discarding the foil ball, and place them on a paper towel-lined rack to cool. The cups will continue to crisp as they cool.
Meanwhile, toss the pears with the lemon juice in a medium bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the goat cheese and half-and-half.
Transfer the pancetta cups to a serving plate. FIll each cup with a spoonful of pears. Pipe using a piping bag or place dollops of the cheese mixture onto the pears. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
