Pancetta-Pesto Soufflé

We had this for dinner last night and it was a first for both of us! Neither of us has ever tried a Souffle or ever made one and it was a join effort. It was a little time consuming but the end result was so yummy! The eggs almost tasted bread-like but still kind of eggie. The pesto and pancetta were outstanding. The Other Williams did add a little beer to the cheese mixture because we were having trouble with the cheese not melting and clumping. The beer allowed everything to smooth out. We also bought a thick slice of pancetta from the deli and it was so much better than the thin slices. Much better taste and flavor. All in all this is what we call a "Do-Over" in our house! We cut the recipe into 3rd's for just us but it could also be cut in half.

Serves 8

Ingredients
Butter for the baking dish
6 large eggs
4 ounces pancetta
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
1 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup grated Parrano, Pecorino-Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 3 ounces)
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven 350°F. Butter 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or a 1.5-quart soufflé dish. Separate egg yolks from egg whites and allow both to come to room temperature.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, fry pancetta until crisp. Drain on a paper towel, chop finely and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together pesto and egg yolks. In a small saucepan, heat milk to a simmer and whisk in cheese until melted. Whisk in flour and pepper. Mixture will thicken immediately. Pour contents of pan into pesto-egg mixture and whisk until combined. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites and pancetta into pesto mixture. Do not overwork, or you will deflate the egg whites.

Spoon soufflé batter into ramekins or soufflé dish and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until puffed and golden, 18 to 20 minutes for the ramekins, 30 minutes for the soufflé dish. A thin knife inserted in center should come out just slightly moist. Serve immediately, as soufflés deflate quickly.

Nutrition Info
Per serving (1 soufflé/105g-wt.): 220 calories (150 from fat), 17g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 10g protein, 6g total carbohydrate (less than 1g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 180mg cholesterol, 430mg sodium