Try this flavorful Italian pasta with chicory, speck, and olives for an exciting meal.

Pasta con cicoria, speck e olive

If you’re looking for an original idea to spice up your daily menu, Pasta with Chicory, Speck, and Olives is the perfect dish for you. This Italian recipe is ideal for serving something different, characterized by an exceptional contrast of flavors and textures. The secret lies in the perfect balance between the pleasantly bitter, pungent, and almost wild taste of chicory blended into a smooth cream, and the savory, tantalizing notes of pan-fried speck. The dish is completed with Taggiasca olives and the crunchy touch of toasted pine nuts, enriching every bite.

This is a delicious first course, combining the wholesomeness of vegetables with the indulgence of more tempting ingredients. This recipe allows you to dress pasta with a flavorful sauce that can be made in minutes: a perfect suggestion to enhance weekly menus and diversify your daily diet in a decidedly tasty way.

Try other variations of this recipe:

• Pasta with Fava Bean Cream and Chicory
• Penne with Smoked Salmon and Blanched Chicory
• Fusilli with Chickpeas, Nettle Cream, Speck, and Stracchino
• Beetroot Pasta on Spinach Cream with Speck

Ingredients

• 320g pasta
• 300g chicory
• 100g speck
• 80g Taggiasca olives
• 30g pine nuts
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Wash the chicory and cook it in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, then drain and blend into a smooth cream.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a pan until golden brown and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the speck until crispy.
4. Add the chicory cream and olives to the pan with the speck, mixing well.
5. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions, then drain and add it to the sauce.
6. Mix everything together over medium heat for a couple of minutes, ensuring the pasta is well coated.
7. Serve hot, garnished with toasted pine nuts.

Total Time: 30 min

Cuisine: Italian