Spiced Pork belly pasta
This delicious pork belly pasta combines the juices of the pork with spices to create a wonderful hearty dish full of flavor.
Main ingredients:
 | Pork belly – fresh boneless pork belly (as opposed to frozen or smoked) |
 | Pasta – any type of pasta like penne, tagliatelle, farfelle, etc. In this case, I’m using tagliatelle. |
 | Spinach – fresh spinach or baby spinach |
 | Red onion – for an added zing |
Spices and flavoring ingredients:
 | Paprika – for that smokey flavor |
 | Garlic powder or flakes |
 | Olive oil – to cook the pork belly and pull the sauce together with the juices from the meat. |
 | Lemon juice – for a touch of acid |
 | Fresh or dried parsley |
 | (Optional) Cayenne pepper – for a bit of spice |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
If you are looking to get away from the creamy pastas to something more savory, this spiced pork belly pasta may be just the thing.
Pork belly is a delicious and affordable cut of meat that is often used in small quantities to add a ton of flavor. The combination of the pork’s crispy texture, tangy spices, and saucy pasta creates a dish that is sure to liven up your palate.
The key is to let the juices of the pork meld into the spices and juices of the onion and olive oil, creating a one-of-a-kind sauce.
This sauce is then absorbed by the spinach and the pasta round off the dish, making it a hearty meal that the whole family can enjoy.
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Spiced Pork belly pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 strips of pork belly
- 400 g of any type of pasta (penne, tagliatelle, farfelle, etc.) (0.9lb)
- 2 cups of fresh spinach
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove, cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta while reserving one cup of the pasta water.
- Chop the onion into small pieces, and cut the spinach into long strips.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pork belly into small chunky pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the spices for the pork belly rub together (salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, etc).
- Add the pork belly into the bowl and cover each one generously with the spice mixture.
- Heat a large casserole or wok on the stove, and cook the onion in olive oil at high heat for 5 minutes until it turns golden brown.
- Add the spinach to the casserole wok and cook together with the onions and olive oil for about 3-5 minutes until it reduces.
- Remove the spinach and the onion to a separate dish.
- In the same casserole pan, cook each strip of pork belly at high heat for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
- Once the pork belly looks cooked, add the spinach and onion to the casserole and mix so that the juices from the pork cover the spinach.
- Add in the cooked pasta to the casserole pan, along with the pasta water, and mix throughly so that the sauce covers all the pasta.
- Serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
This delicious spiced pork belly pasta can be served with an appetizer like fresh chicken spring rolls in a peanut sauce or air fryer chicken tikka.
You can also serve it with a salad like this spinach salad with tahini yogurt dressing.
How to store it?
This spiced pork belly pasta keeps wonderfully well for at least a few days since there is no milk or cheese in it. However, the pasta can get mushy if kept too long, so I recommend cooking it al dente so that it holds its form.
You can keep it in an airtight container that you can also use to take for a packed lunch.
