Pancetta di S.B.

   When life hands you pancetta, make spaghetti alla carbonara? A package of pancetta arrived in the mail from Jason Tuley, chef of Square One in Santa Barbara. That's organic Santa Barbara hog belly that he cured and dry-aged for more than a month.

"We've been making a lot of it," says Tuley, who has turned 10 Los Olivos-raised American boar (fed with apples, beer mash and acorns) into prosciutto, guanciale, pancetta, red-wine-cured tenderloin, fresh sausage and a few kinds of salame. "We've made everything so far. The first prosciutto will be done this time next year." So what's a chef to do with all that charcuterie? Sell some (he's not marketing it yet) ... and make sandwiches. Tuley's looking for a Santa Barbara location for Square One Sandwiches.

But he also has some of it on  his menu at Square One -- such as cardoons with grilled pancetta and raw artichoke salad with Meyer lemons, or a salad of mache with sliced red-wine-cured loin, Sicilian pistachios and goat cheese.

As for me, I made spaghetti alla carbonara, one of my favorite pasta dishes because it's so easy and delicious. The "sauce" is ready by the time the spaghetti has boiled. Sauté cubed pancetta with a little olive oil and minced garlic, then add a little white wine. When the spaghetti's done, drain it, then toss it with a few egg yolks. I use just the yolks instead of whole eggs because it's richer and creamier that way. Add the pancetta mixture, a handful of Pecorino and-or Parmigiano-Reggiano and a little cracked black pepper and some parsley too. That's it. Almost as easy as lemonade.

Square One, 14 E. Cota St., Santa Barbara, (805) 965-4565.

-- Betty Hallock

Photo by Betty Hallock