Pancetta

Pancetta is an Italian salt-cured pork belly sold in tight rolls or flat slabs. It tastes deeply savory and salty, with silky fat that crisps and renders well; cooks dice it for soffritto, sauces, and pasta, or slice it thin to wrap roasts. Common retail forms include diced cubes, thin slices, and skin-on slabs.

It originated in Italy, where regional cures vary in spices and aging, and it anchors many classic dishes. Today producers make pancetta across Europe and North America, adapting traditional salumi methods to modern facilities.