Last night I made a pasta dish that went over really well with my family, so I thought I’d share.

I originally saw Michael Symon make this on The Chew.  Here’s my version:

1 lb angel hair pasta

4 oz pancetta – diced

1 lb fresh broccoli florets

1 clove garlic – minced

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Parmesan cheese

Get pasta going according to package.   In a large skillet, brown pancetta in a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Add broccoli and sauté for several minutes.  If needed, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and add the garlic.   The garlic should brown but not burn.  At this point, I added a ladle or two of pasta water to the skillet.  You want the broccoli to remain slightly crisp. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet, toss with the broccoli mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Not only was this dish delicious, it was also very economical.  Here’s the breakdown of what I purchased at Checkers:

Pancetta – $4.19

Angel hair pasta – $.99

Broccoli – $.78/lb.

The rest of the ingredients were already in my pantry.  This served four of us, plus we had leftovers.

In Michael Symon’s recipe, he added pine nuts.  I am not a fan, so I left them out.  I also thought that a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes while cooking the broccoli and pancetta would also add a little kick.