Scampo's Chicharrón with Spaghetti

Chicharrón is a very popular dish in traditional Latin American cuisine. It is made of seasoned, fried pork rinds and can either be eaten alone, as a snack, or as the meat component of a dish. The following recipe combines the deliciously crispy chicharrón with red jalapeños and hot cherry peppers for a Latin-inspired spaghetti dish.

Ingredients

1 cup pork belly fat
Salt and pepper
1/2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. garlic, chopped
2 Tbs. red jalapeños, seeded & chopped
2 Tbs. Italian hot cherry peppers, seeded & chopped)
10 oz. cooked spaghetti
16 parsley stems, finely chopped
8 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano

Directions

Cut the pork belly fat into strips, and then into cubes. Sprinkle with salt and baking powder. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a pan and place the cubed pork fat into it. Sauté the pork on low-to-medium temperature for 10-12 minutes. Once it is crispy, set aside.

Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a pan and let it warm up to 350 degrees (medium heat). Then, add garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Add the red jalapeños and Italian hot cherry peppers to the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add your cooked spaghetti to the pan and sauté. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper for seasoning. Once the ingredients in the pan are mixed, turn off the heat and stir in butter. Lastly, add in parmigiano reggiano.

Serve the dish on a warm plate. Place spaghetti on plate and top with the chicharrón. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and parmigiano reggiano.

Serves: 4

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Chef Simon Restrepo is the Executive Chef of Scampo, an elegant Italian restaurant located in the historic Liberty Hotel (formerly the Suffolk Co. Jail) in Boston. He shared this recipe with us when he was featured as our guest on Neighborhood Kitchens.

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