Pancetta, prosciutto, and bacon all come from the pig, but here in Italy nobody would swap one for the other. The cut is different, the cure is different, and the way each one ends up on the table is completely different.
I’m Louisa, a graduate in Italian Language and Literature and I have lived in Tuscany with my family since 2012. I have spent years studying, writing about, and tasting my way through all 20 Italian regions, giving me expert first hand experience in the Italian culinary word.
Salumi, or Italian cured meats, are part of everyday life here, from the tagliere (Italian charcuterie board) at the local osteria to the pancetta I keep in the fridge for a quick pasta sauce.
Today I am breaking down the real differences between pancetta, prosciutto, and bacon. I will start with a quick guide if you just need the answer fast. For those who want to go deeper, read on to learn which part of the pig each one comes from, how it is cured, whether you can eat it raw, and how Italians actually use it in the kitchen.
More on Italian Cured Meats:
Types of Prosciutto
Prosciutto Crudo vs Cotto
Is Prosciutto Raw?
Italian Sausage Names
Italian Charcuterie Board
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Quick Guide: Pancetta vs Prosciutto vs Bacon
| Cured Meat | Cut of Pork | Cured & Smoked? | Best For/How It’s Eaten |
| Prosciutto crudo | Hind leg (ham) | Salt-cured and air-dried for many months, not smoked | Eaten raw in paper-thin slices; antipasti, with melon or figs, on pizza after baking |
| Pancetta | Belly | Salt-cured with spices and air-dried, usually not smoked | Cooked as a flavor base for pasta, soups, and sauces; rolled pancetta is also sliced and eaten raw |
| Bacon | Belly (US) or loin (UK back bacon) | Cured and smoked | Always cooked; breakfast, sandwiches, burgers |
| Bonus: Guanciale | Cheek (jowl) | Salt-cured with black pepper, not smoked | Roman pastas: carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia |
In short: prosciutto is the leg, pancetta and bacon are the belly, and smoke is the main thing that separates pancetta from bacon.
What Is Prosciutto?
Prosciutto simply means “ham” in Italian, and there are two kinds (I cover both in depth in Prosciutto Crudo vs Cotto):
Prosciutto crudo: Raw, dry-cured ham. This is what English speakers usually mean when they say “prosciutto.”
Prosciutto cotto: Cooked ham, closer to the deli ham you know at home. It is the classic filling for a toast (a grilled ham and cheese sandwich) at an Italian bar.
Good To Know: If you ask for “prosciutto” at a deli counter in Italy, expect the question “crudo o cotto?” Save yourself a step and ask for the one you want by name.
How Prosciutto Crudo Is Made
Prosciutto crudo is made from the pig’s hind leg. The leg is trimmed, salted, rested, then washed and left to air-dry and age slowly for many months. Salt, air, and time do the work, which is why good prosciutto is never smoked or cooked.
The longer it ages, the more complex the flavor becomes. Wondering whether it is safe to eat uncooked? Read my guide Is Prosciutto Raw?
Types of Italian Prosciutto to Know
Italy has several protected (DOP) prosciutti, each with its own production rules. These are the names you will see most often (for the full list, see my guide to 9 famous types of prosciutto).
Prosciutto di Parma DOP
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Made With: Pork and sea salt only
Flavor: Sweet and delicate
Under its updated production rules, the minimum aging period for Prosciutto di Parma was raised from 12 to 14 months. This has a more sweet flavor and is my family’s preferred type of prosciutto.
Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP
Region: Friuli Venezia Giulia
Made With: Pork and sea salt only
Flavor: Mild and sweet
San Daniele is easy to recognize at the deli counter because the hoof is left on the leg. Again, it’s sweet, similar to parma and less salty.
Tip: Ask for it tagliato fino for thin slices, which is really how sweeter versions of prosciutto should be served.
Prosciutto Toscano DOP
Region: Tuscany
Made With: Sea salt, black pepper, and local aromatics such as garlic, rosemary, and juniper
Best For: Eating with unsalted Tuscan bread
The pork is coated in black pepper, and every stage of production must take place in Tuscany. Prosciutto Toscano is more savory than Parma or San Daniele, and there is a reason for that.
Tuscan bread is traditionally made without salt (pane sciocco), so the saltier ham and the plain bread balance each other out. If you are traveling here, try them together. You can read more in my guide to Italian breads.
Other DOP Prosciutti
Look for Prosciutto di Modena DOP and Prosciutto di Carpegna DOP.
How Italians Eat Prosciutto
On a tagliere: Sliced paper-thin with other salumi and Italian cheese, like pecorino.
Prosciutto e melone: The classic summer antipasto with ripe cantaloupe.
With fresh figs: A late-summer favorite.
On pizza: Added after the pizza comes out of the oven, so the prosciutto stays soft and doesn’t dry out.
Saltimbocca alla romana: One of the few classic dishes where prosciutto crudo is cooked.
What Is Pancetta?
Pancetta comes from pancia, Italian for belly, and that is exactly what it is: salt-cured pork belly. It is the same cut used for American bacon, but the cure is different. Pancetta is rubbed with salt and spices, most often black pepper, and depending on the region or producer, garlic, juniper, cloves, or nutmeg. It is then air-dried rather than smoked.
Types of Pancetta
Pancetta tesa (or stesa): Flat pancetta. This is the one you dice for cooking or cut into thick strips for the grill.
Pancetta arrotolata: Rolled pancetta, sliced thin and eaten raw as part of an antipasto or in a sandwich.
Pancetta coppata: Rolled pancetta wrapped around a piece of coppa (cured pork neck).
Pancetta affumicata: Smoked pancetta. This is the closest thing to bacon in Italy.
Two pancette have DOP protection: Pancetta Piacentina DOP from Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna and Pancetta di Calabria DOP from the south.
Rigatino: Tuscany’s Pancetta
In Tuscany, you will often see rigatino at the butcher or deli counter. It is a flat, peppery Tuscan pancetta, and the name comes from rigato (striped), after the stripes of lean meat running through the fat. If a Tuscan recipe calls for rigatino, regular pancetta tesa is the right substitute.
How Italians Use Pancetta
As a flavor base: Diced and cooked in a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery to start soups, stews, and ragù.
In pasta: Many home cooks use it in carbonara, amatriciana, and other Italian pasta sauces when guanciale isn’t on hand.
In bean dishes: Pasta e fagioli and other hearty legume soups.
Wrapped around meat: Thin slices around pork fillet, chicken, or game to keep it moist.
On an antipasto plate: Rolled pancetta, sliced and served raw like prosciutto.
Good To Know: Every Italian supermarket sells small packs of cubetti di pancetta, pre-diced pancetta, in both dolce (unsmoked) and affumicata (smoked) versions. They are meant for cooking, so always check which one you are grabbing.
What Is Bacon?
Bacon isn’t Italian, but it is the cured meat most English speakers know, so it is the natural point of comparison.
American bacon: Pork belly that is cured and then smoked. It is sold raw and always cooked before eating.
British and Irish back bacon: Cut mostly from the loin, so it is leaner.
Canadian bacon: Also from the loin, closer to ham.
Good To Know: There is no traditional Italian word for bacon. When you see “bacon” on a package or a menu in Italy, it usually means smoked pancetta (pancetta affumicata). It shows up on pizza, in burgers, and at hotel breakfasts, but it isn’t part of traditional Italian cooking.
What About Guanciale?
Any conversation about pancetta in Italy eventually turns to guanciale. It is cured pork cheek (guancia means cheek), seasoned with salt and black pepper. It is fattier than pancetta, and it is the traditional choice for Rome’s classic pastas: carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia. When guanciale is cooked, its fat melts into the sauce in a way pancetta can’t quite match.
Can You Substitute Pancetta, Prosciutto, and Bacon?
Pancetta for bacon (and vice versa): Yes, in cooked dishes. Just remember bacon adds a smoky flavor that pancetta doesn’t have. For an Italian recipe, unsmoked pancetta is the better match.
Prosciutto for pancetta: Not ideal. Prosciutto is leaner and turns tough and salty when cooked for a long time. If you have to, add it at the very end.
Pancetta for guanciale: The most common swap in Italian home kitchens. The flavor is slightly different, but it works.
Bacon for prosciutto: No. Bacon has to be cooked, while prosciutto is eaten raw.
How to Order Cured Meats in Italy
At a salumeria or the deli counter (banco gastronomia) in the supermarket, cured meats are sold by weight, usually by the etto (100 grams). These phrases will help:
Un etto di prosciutto crudo, per favore: 100 grams of prosciutto crudo, please.
Tagliato fine: Sliced thin.
Pancetta a cubetti: Diced pancetta.
Un pezzo di pancetta: A piece of pancetta (unsliced).
For more, see my guide on How to Order Food in Italian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pancetta the same as bacon?
No. Both come from pork belly, but pancetta is salt-cured, spiced, and air-dried, while bacon is cured and smoked. Smoked pancetta (pancetta affumicata) is the closest Italian equivalent to bacon.
What is the difference between prosciutto and pancetta?
Prosciutto is the hind leg, aged for many months and eaten raw in thin slices. Pancetta is the belly, aged for a shorter time and mostly used as a flavor base in pasta, soups, and sauces.
Is prosciutto raw?
Prosciutto crudo is raw but cured, so it is safe to eat without cooking. Prosciutto cotto is cooked ham.
Can you eat pancetta raw?
Rolled pancetta (arrotolata) is commonly sliced thin and eaten raw in Italy. Flat pancetta and pre-diced cubetti are meant for cooking, so follow the label.
What is the Italian word for bacon?
There isn’t a traditional one. Italians use the English word “bacon,” usually for smoked pancetta, or say pancetta affumicata.
Should I use pancetta or guanciale in carbonara?
Guanciale is the traditional Roman choice. Pancetta is the most common substitute and is widely used in Italian home cooking. If you are in Rome, here is where to eat carbonara.
Hungry for more? Read about
Traditional Tuscan Food
12 Foods To Try in Siena
Food Souvenirs from Emilia-Romagna
Best Food Souvenirs from Italy
Eating in Italy Basics:
How To Order Food In Italian
Commonly Mispronounced Italian Foods
Italian Meal Structure
A Visitor’s Guide To Eating In Italy
