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Fettuccine with Five-Spice Pork and Carrots
© Corey Hendrickson

Fettuccine with Five-Spice Pork and Carrots

Contributed by Quick From Scratch Pasta
  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME:
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • FAST

Don't be tempted to cook the pork tenderloin any longer than specified, or you'll risk losing its juicy tenderness. By the time you combine it with the hot carrots and sauce and toss it with the pasta, it will be perfectly done.

Plus:

  1. 1 pound pork tenderloin
  2. Salt
  3. Fresh-ground black pepper
  4. Chinese five-spice powder
  5. 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  6. 4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
  7. 1 teaspoon sugar
  8. 4 scallions including green tops, chopped
  9. 4 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
  10. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
  11. 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
  12. 1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
  13. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  14. 1/2 pound fettuccine or Chinese egg noodles
  1. Cut the pork into 1/2-inch slices and flatten them with the heel of your hand. Sprinkle the pork with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Cook the pork, in two batches if necessary, until just done, about 1 minute per side. Remove the pork from the pan, let sit for 5 minutes, and then cut it into strips.
  2. In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat. Add the carrots and sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon five-spice powder and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 4 minutes. Stir in the pork and any accumulated juice and remove the sauce from the heat.
  3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fettuccine until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce.

Suggested Pairing

A dry but aromatic white wine will work nicely with the light pork as well as the assertive flavors of the fresh ginger and the Chinese spices. Try a dry Riesling either from Alsace in France or from California.