pancetta

[ pan-chet-uh ]

noun

1. Italian pork belly cured with salt, pepper, and other spices and air-dried up to four months, tightly rolled in a cylinder.

pancetta

/ panˈtʃetta; pænˈtʃɛtə /

noun

1. a lightly spiced cured bacon from Italy

Word History and Origins

Origin of pancetta¹

First recorded in 1950–55; from Italian: literally, “little belly,” diminutive of pancia “belly, paunch,” from Latin pantic- (stem of pantex ) “belly, paunch, guts” + -etta diminutive suffix ( -ette ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of pancetta¹

Italian, literally: little belly

Example Sentences

Pi00a isn’t a restaurant but pops up all over Los Angeles and beyond, baking puffy-edged, char-crusted pizza pies with toppings such as miso eggplant; soppressata with chili crunch; Hainan chicken; and Asian pear with pancetta.

From Los Angeles Times

For our take, we cook pancetta and shallots with Dijon mustard, olive oil and sherry vinegar for a bright yet comforting dressing to drizzle onto the greens just before serving.

From Washington Times

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel–lined plate.

From Washington Times

Divide the salad among plates and top each portion with pancetta and Parmesan.

From Washington Times

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon pancetta fat from the skillet, then return it to medium heat.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• pork