What's Better than Bacon?

What’s better than bacon?Really, not many things are. But lately, I’ve loved Pancetta. Pancetta is an Italian form of bacon that is not smoked. It is pork belly that has been cured in salt, then spiced and dried for three months. Each part of Italy produces its own type. In our kitchen the other day, Chef Michele Knaus made a fantastic dish featuring local asparagus, sautéed with pancetta and pine nuts. The smell of the pancetta permeated the entire store, distracting me from my work and luring me to the back, where I happily sampled a plate of the bright green spears. They were lightly salted from the pancetta, with crispy bits of meat and crunchy pine nuts. The combination of textures and flavors was perfect and just goes to show you that the best ingredients and simple techniques are sometimes the most satisfying.
--Josie