What do you know about bacon’s Italian cousin, pancetta? I knew next to nothing, and thinking perhaps I was in good company with a lot of our Cook’n readers, I thought this would be something worthwhile to discuss. Lisa Chernick, food researcher and writer for www.seriouseats.com, aptly explains the difference between these two popular meats.

She says, “While still rich in flavor, pancetta offers a more delicate taste than bacon. People love using it because it's such a pleasing complement to dishes such as Bolognese sauce, minestrone soup, and sautéed spring peas.”

Both ingredients are essentially cured pork belly, but pancetta is cured with salt and a combination of spices and herbs; bacon is typically cured with just salt before being smoked.

American-style bacon is either thin or thick sliced. It comes cured with salt, cured with synthetic nitrates, or uncured, and is sometimes called “streaky bacon.” Although historically it’s cooked on the stovetop, more and more home cooks are preferring the oven method. The oven is efficient and easy for making bigger batches with less mess, and without the need for constant attention.

Just lay the bacon strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; start them in a cold oven, allowing it to heat up to 400°F (205°C). The bacon starts to slowly tenderize without needing to wait for the oven to heat up all the way. By the time the oven reaches its temperature, the bacon will be about halfway cooked, and you can continue cooking it until you reach an ideal color and crunch (typically 15-25 minutes in total, depending on the thickness of the slices).

The term "pancetta" comes from pancia, the Italian word for "belly," (referring to the belly of a pig). Pancetta’s curing process involves seasoning the pork with a generous amount of salt and a spice mixture (typically a combination of black pepper, nutmeg, juniper, allspice, fennel, and garlic). This preserves the meat and infuses it with flavor.

Cured pancetta is often rolled tightly, creating a cylinder that can be sliced into beautiful, paper-thin rounds or thicker ones for dicing and cooking. It takes much longer to cure than bacon—and is more expensive than bacon. Unlike bacon, pancetta is not usually smoked, which allows its porky and spice flavors to shine through. Its rich, savory taste can be slightly sweet.

It’s a popular addition to charcuterie boards, and like bacon, it’s delicious when cooked and added to steamed vegetables—asparagus, especially. This combination offers a nice balance of flavors and textures, turning humble vegetables into showstoppers.

Now the question: Can they be swapped out in recipes? Can a BLT be just as good if it’s a PLT? (See photo below.) Well, it depends on what you’re after. Even though pancetta and bacon both begin as pork belly, their flavor profiles and uses set them apart. Bacon is bold and smoky and delivers a robust flavor that can dominate a dish. Pancetta is rich, savory, and delicately sweet, and has a tender texture that melts into dishes (offering a more nuanced flavor). It’s sometimes described as the more refined cousin of bacon, providing depth without smokiness. And while bacon is never served raw, pancetta sometimes is.

The bottom line: Pancetta is best in delicate dishes where its subtlety can shine. But bacon’s big personality makes it ideal for dishes with other bold flavors, such as atop a burger or alongside pancakes and eggs. However, all this said, professional chefs tend to encourage experimentation—so swap ‘em out if you want—cater to your own palate and ideas.

I’ll close our bacon vs. pancetta tutorial with a terrific recipe using pancetta. This comes from www.allrecipes.com and is a quick and easy pasta dish. See what you think.