©1988, UPDATED 2021
AuthorDartagnan"From My Dear Friend JoAnn Vallenari of Vallenari's"
The secret of this dish first is making your own Creme Fraiche and making it a little thicker than normal. It is very easy to do, and you will never use sour cream again. The next, is using the Spice Tribe Porcini Paradiso to season your pancetta and also, in the pasta water, and letting it rest a couple minutes to draw in some of the flavor to the pasta. Making what could be a bland or "too cheesy" dish, a well-balanced and flavorful dish that can stand on its own.
Fill your pasta pot 2/3 with good water, add kosher salt and stir to dissolve. When beginning to heat up, add Porcini Paradiso and whisk a few times while coming up to a boil. Cook pasta just short of al Dente (9-10 minutes), remove off hot burner and let stand.
Shred the fontina fine and crumble the gorgonzola, divide mozzarella and cream cheese into thirds of quarters. Assemble all ingredients before beginning the sauce. (this image is using Grana Pandano and low-moisture mozzarella)
In a small sauté pan heat olive oil up to medium, when heated add pancetta and cook 3 or 4 minutes until pancetta begins to render fat, next add garlic and 2 teaspoons of Porcini Paradiso turn heat down to sauté garlic and cook pancetta 5-7 minutes until crispy. Remove, place in strainer to drain well.
In a large sauté pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter (do not brown), stir in heavy cream, add creme fraiche, bring just to a low simmer. Do not boil.
Add pepper and stir well.
Removing pan to a cool burner, but keeping original on very low, slowly add Mascarpone, then cream cheese and incorporate well. After combined and smooth, slowly blend in the rest of the cheeses until completely melted and blended well, moving back and forth between cold burner and warm burner. IMPORTANT! Do not over heat or it will separate and become mealy.
Pasta should be al Dente by now, drain well, do not rinse. Place back in warm pot.
Bring cheese sauce slowly back to low heat.
Gently fold cheese over pasta to coat well. Let heat slightly (if you get it too hot, it will separate), Remove from heat and plate.
Top with dried pancetta, edge plate with parsley if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
The secret of this dish first is making your own Creme Fraiche and making it a little thicker than normal. It is very easy to do, and you will never use sour cream again. The next, is using the Spice Tribe Porcini Paradiso to season your pancetta and also, in the pasta water, and letting it rest a couple minutes to draw in some of the flavor to the pasta. Making what could be a bland or "too cheesy" dish, a well-balanced and flavorful dish that can stand on its own.
Fill your pasta pot 2/3 with good water, add kosher salt and stir to dissolve. When beginning to heat up, add Porcini Paradiso and whisk a few times while coming up to a boil. Cook pasta just short of al Dente (9-10 minutes), remove off hot burner and let stand.
Shred the fontina fine and crumble the gorgonzola, divide mozzarella and cream cheese into thirds of quarters. Assemble all ingredients before beginning the sauce. (this image is using Grana Pandano and low-moisture mozzarella)
In a small sauté pan heat olive oil up to medium, when heated add pancetta and cook 3 or 4 minutes until pancetta begins to render fat, next add garlic and 2 teaspoons of Porcini Paradiso turn heat down to sauté garlic and cook pancetta 5-7 minutes until crispy. Remove, place in strainer to drain well.
In a large sauté pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter (do not brown), stir in heavy cream, add creme fraiche, bring just to a low simmer. Do not boil.
Add pepper and stir well.
Removing pan to a cool burner, but keeping original on very low, slowly add Mascarpone, then cream cheese and incorporate well. After combined and smooth, slowly blend in the rest of the cheeses until completely melted and blended well, moving back and forth between cold burner and warm burner. IMPORTANT! Do not over heat or it will separate and become mealy.
Pasta should be al Dente by now, drain well, do not rinse. Place back in warm pot.
Bring cheese sauce slowly back to low heat.
Gently fold cheese over pasta to coat well. Let heat slightly (if you get it too hot, it will separate), Remove from heat and plate.
Top with dried pancetta, edge plate with parsley if desired.