This is one of my favorite quick meals — it has several iterations because it’s so easy to “make it your own.” I have a really hard time finding guanciale which would make it a little more “authentic,” so I don’t even try anymore. Instead I use pancetta if I plan in advance, or bacon if dinner is a last minute thought. And hey — here’s another recipe in which Aleppo pepper can be a star. Did I mention I love it? I can get this dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely diced or bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced (I usually just microplane it)
Aleppo paper to your taste — I usually add a little less than a tablespoon full.
1/4 cup of capers — for maximum flavor you can gently small them with the flat side of your knife
1/3 cup of pine nuts
3/4 cup of white wine (optional — but it helps make a sauce)
1 cup of minced parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated (microplane again) parmesan or Pecorino Romano, divided into a 1/2 cup pile for the sauce, and 1/4 cup pile for plating

Directions:

1. Do all your chopping, grating and measuring (mise en place) first.
2. Start heating up a pot of heavily salted water for the pasta. It should taste like sea water. Once it is boiling, put in your spaghetti. Regular spaghetti takes about 12 minutes to cook. That’s how much time you have to make the sauce!
3. In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the pancetta or bacon or guanciale and cook over moderate heat until browned and slightly crisp, about 5 or 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Add the onion, garlic and Aleppo pepper to the skillet and cook over moderately low heat until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to cook down until it’s been absorbed. Return the pancetta, bacon or guanciale to the skillet along with the capers and pine nutsand keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, check on the pasta — take a quick bite of one strand to see if it’s done to your liking. When you’re happy with it, reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.. Add the reserved pasta water to the skillet along with the 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and thoroughly coat the pasta. Season with salt and pepper — add a bit more Aleppo pepper because it looks pretty, and the cup of minced parsley. Transfer to shallow bowls and top with the remaining parmesan. Serve immediately.
5. For the heck of it, you can add frozen peas for color, chopped tomatoes, a little heavy cream with the pasta water — all unnecessary, but you get the idea that there are a lot of different ways to dress up this pasta.