Pissaladiere is a French flatbread from Provence topped with deeply sweet caramelized onions, salty anchovies, punchy Nicoise olives, and fragrant herbs. Here we take those ingredients and turn them into a sauce that pairs perfectly with Sfoglini’s volcano-shaped Vesuvio, with the pockets and folds holding the jammy onions and bits of olives perfectly.
MAKES FOUR - SIX SERVINGS
Place the bacon in a large saute pan and cook over medium low heat until the fat has rendered, stirring occasionally, approximately 10-20 minutes. Set bacon aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the rendered fat in the pan and add the onions and salt.
Cook the onions over medium low heat for one to two hours. Stir occasionally and monitor regularly to ensure the onions don’t burn. Add a splash of water to the pan if they start to brown too much. As the time passes, they’ll cook down and slowly begin to turn a golden beige color. Once they have a jammy consistency and a noticeably sweet flavor, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the anchovies. They’ll dissolve in the heat.
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until 1-2 minutes before al dente, according to package instructions.
When the pasta is almost ready, bring the pan with the onions back to medium low heat and add 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Once the pasta is almost al dente, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the onion pan using a slotted spoon. Gently stir them in and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the pasta is tender, then remove from the heat and stir in the olives, Parmesan cheese, and a generous pinch of thyme leaves.
Serve, passing more Parmesan, thyme, and bacon pieces as a topping.
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Chef’s Note: Caramelizing onions is a slow process that should not be rushed and it must be carefully monitored. The onions can be caramelized the day before and kept refrigerated until it’s time to cook the pasta. If doing this, add the anchovies at the end of the caramelizing process and then reheat the onions gently over low heat until they’re very warm.
The amount of anchovies used in this recipe is subjective. If any diners are sensitive to their flavor, start by adding three anchovies to the onions, let them dissolve, then taste the onion mixture and continue to add anchovies one at a time, tasting after each addition, until the desired flavor is reached. The anchovies can be omitted completely, but more salt will likely be needed in the recipe. Taste and add salt as necessary after adding the Parmesan, olives, and bacon.
Pasta Swaps: This recipe would also work well with Sfoglini Trumpets, Porcini Trumpets, or Reginetti.
