Mezze Maniche With Spinach and Guanciale

Mezze maniche, or half sleeves, is a tubular ridged pasta variety that's splendidly versatile. Approximately half the size of rigatoni, the tubes work well in various recipes including classics like carbonara and cacio e pepe as well as with seafood pasta and meat sauce preparations. This simple pasta dish with spinach and guanciale comes together swiftly and painlessly, making it a perfect go-to for dinner on those nights when you just can't be bothered to spend too much time in front of the stove. It never goes out of season and never lacks flavor. Don't have guanciale? Just substitute bacon. Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice PradaMezze Maniche With Spinach and Guanciale Serves 4
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 30 minutesIngredients:

3⁄4 lb. mezze maniche pasta
7 oz. baby spinach
1 1⁄2 cups pecorino, grated
3 oz. guanciale, thinly sliced (or bacon) 
2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the guanciale slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake for 5-8 minutes or until crisp. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the vinegar and the tomatoes, then turn off the heat and let everything soak for 5 minutes. Drain and then cut the tomatoes into strips. Coat a sauté pan with extra-virgin olive oil and place over medium-low heat. Lightly cook the spinach, then add the tomato strips and cook for 1 minute. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss the pasta in the sauté pan with the spinach and tomatoes. In a small bowl, add 1 ladle of the pasta cooking water to the pecorino, stirring until melted. Pour into the sauté pan and mix well. Top with guanciale and then serve.