Definition of "pancetta" [pancetta]

• Italian bacon that has been cured in salt and spices and then air-dried. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Only a small amount of pancetta is needed improve the taste of savory sauces (a corollary to the principle that everything tastes better with bacon)."
• "NOTE: The pancetta slices must be long enough to wrap all the way around the stuffed tenderloin; this size of pancetta is available only from deli counters and specialty stores in most of the US."
• "Too often, the only readily available pancetta is sold in pre-sliced 3-ounce vacuum-packed plastic bags."