What to make with Pancetta & Sweet Potatoes
Why they work together
Sweet potato's natural sugars caramelize nicely against pancetta's salty, rendered pork fat, giving a sweet-savory contrast similar to bacon and sweet potato but with a cleaner, less smoky edge that lets herbs like sage or rosemary come through. Cooking the sweet potato in rendered pancetta fat lets the saltiness work into the flesh instead of staying on the surface.
How to combine them
Render diced pancetta until crisp and golden, then roast or sauté cubed sweet potato in that same fat so it caramelizes and takes on the pancetta's savory depth. Add the crisped pancetta back in near the end of cooking, or scatter it over the finished dish, so it keeps its crunch.
Classic dishes featuring both
American
- Pancetta-wrapped sweet potato wedges — Sweet potato wedges are wrapped in pancetta and roasted until it crisps around them.
- Sweet potato, pancetta, and herb hash — Diced sweet potato and crisped pancetta are pan-fried together with fresh herbs.
Italian
- Roasted sweet potato with crispy pancetta — Sweet potato wedges are roasted and topped with pancetta rendered crisp in its own fat.
- Sweet potato and pancetta risotto — Cubed sweet potato is stirred into risotto with crisped pancetta folded in near the end.
- Sweet potato gratin with pancetta — Layered sweet potato slices are baked with cream and crisped pancetta until golden.
Take it further
- Pancetta sweet potato galette — Arrange thin sweet potato slices and crisped pancetta over puff pastry or pie dough and bake until the pastry is golden, trading the creamy baking-dish gratin for a rustic, sliceable tart.
- Pancetta sweet potato grain bowl — Toss roasted sweet potato and crisped pancetta with cooked farro or quinoa and a light dressing instead of serving straight from the pan, for a packed, grain-based lunch bowl.
- Pancetta sweet potato crostini — Spread mashed sweet potato on toasted bread rounds and top with crumbled crisped pancetta for a canape-style bite, instead of wrapping whole wedges in pancetta.
- Pancetta sweet potato chowder — Simmer diced sweet potato in stock and cream until tender, then stir in crisped pancetta at the end -- a spoonable soup format instead of a roasted, baked, or wrapped one.
- Pancetta sweet potato fritters — Bind grated sweet potato and crisped pancetta with egg and a little flour, then pan-fry into crisp cakes -- a quick skillet format instead of the slower roasted or gratin versions above.
Common additions
- Maple Syrup — Drizzled on near the end of roasting to play up the sweet potato's sugars against the salty pancetta.
- Walnut — Toasted and scattered over the salad or risotto version for crunch.
- Rosemary — Roasted alongside the sweet potato and pancetta for an aromatic contrast to the richness.