Casoncelli with Sage and Pancetta (or Casoncelli alla Begamasca)

This is it - all the work comes together and what a gastronomical delight it is!!

Casoncelli - as made in the previous posts
1 cup unsalted butter
4 oz pancetta, julienned
20 small sage leaves

Put the butter, pancetta and sage leaves in a skillet over low heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the pancetta and sage are getting crispy; the butter should also be browned at this point. Remove from heat to keep from burning the butter but keep warm.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the casoncelli, in batches if necessary to prevent crowding and sticking, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until just tender (add 1-2 minutes if you are using casoncelli you had frozen).

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the casoncelli to a warmed shallow bowl. Pour the butter over the pasta and sprinkle with the bits of crispy sage and pancetta. You will be amazed at the richness of the flavors!

We forgot to get a picture of the prepared dish but in the table setting below the casoncelli can be seen in the left of the picture. Looks as good on the table as it does in Marc Vetri's cookbook il viaggio di vetri where we got the recipe.

Enjoy.
-Ray