Pancetta Wrapped Mushrooms

Notes: Pancetta, an Italian bacon that is cured but not smoked, is available
in well-stocked supermarkets and in specialty food stores. If you can't find
it, substitute thin slices of regular bacon. You can wrap the mushrooms in
the pancetta (through step 2) up to 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Allow an
extra 5 minutes for baking the chilled mushrooms.

24 mushrooms (with 1-in.-wide caps; about 5 oz. total), rinsed and patted dry
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
24 fresh sage leaves, rinsed and patted dry
24 thin slices pancetta (about 6 oz. total; see notes) or 12 strips
thin-sliced bacon

Trim and discard tough or discolored stem ends from mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms
lightly all over with salt and pepper. Lay a sage leaf over the top of each
mushroom, then wrap mushroom and sage leaf with pancetta. (If using regular bacon,
cut each strip in half to form two shorter strips, and wrap each mushroom with a
short strip.) If desired, leave tip of sage leaf protruding from wrapping. Spear
mushroom with a toothpick, securing outer end of pancetta and leaving toothpick
protruding to use for serving. Evenly space wrapped mushrooms in a 10- by 15-inch
nonstick baking pan. Bake in a 400 regular or convection oven until most of the
pancetta is crisp and browned, about 25 minutes (see notes). Serve hot, leaving
toothpicks in.

Yield: Makes 24 appetizers; 4 to 6 servings

CALORIES 51(71% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 1.4g); PROTEIN 2.8g; CHOLESTEROL
6.7mg; SODIUM 127mg; FIBER 0.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 1g
Sunset, FEBRUARY 2004



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