Spaghettini With Pancetta, Fennel and Arugula

A simple pasta dish comes to the rescue for a fabulous meal. The flavours of pancetta, fennel and arugula are complemented wonderfully by the delicate cream sauce.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  bulb fennel
• 375  g  spaghettini pasta
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 90  g  sliced pancetta, cut into thin strips
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  10% half-and-half or 1  cup  18% table cream
• 1⁄3 cup  canadian parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 4  cups  baby arugula leaves
•  salt and pepper
•  parmesan cheese, shaved

Directions

1. Trim root end and stalks from fennel bulb. Finely chop fennel fronds; set aside. Cut bulb in half lengthwise and trim out core. Cut out each half lenghtwise into thin slices; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until tender but firm (al dente). Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water; return pasta to pot.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; add sliced fennel bulb, panctta and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes or until fennel is tender.
4. Whisk flour into cream and stir into pan; cook, stirring for about 3 minutes until thickened. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Add to pasta in pot and gently toss, adding the arugula and enough of the reserved pasta water to moisten,
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with shaved Parmesan cheese and reserved fennel fronds.