Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (29 page)

5
While the fettuccine cooks, add enough olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet to measure 2 to 3 tablespoons. Heat over medium heat until the fats begin to shimmer, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the blanched kale and crushed red pepper flakes and, using tongs, toss the kale in the oil until it is thoroughly coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the drained bacon and let simmer until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.

6
When the pasta is done, set aside ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the fettuccine and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the kale and bacon mixture to the drained pasta and toss to combine. Add the pecorino romano cheese and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin the sauce as desired.

7
Divide the pasta among serving bowls, grating a little nutmeg over each portion. Serve the pasta immediately with more pecorino romano on the side for those who want it.

Serves 4

For this wintry pasta, we wanted a crusty finish so we created a topping of crisply cooked bacon and browned bread crumbs. Once you’ve made this recipe you’ll see that bread crumbs with bacon can raise the appeal of many everyday dishes: Toss a handful into a salad of mixed greens; sprinkle them over sliced ripe summer tomatoes, sautéed zucchini, or green beans; or stir them into hearty winter soups.

6 slices bacon, diced

½ cup coarsely ground homemade bread crumbs (see
page 32
)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 head cauliflower (about 2½ pounds), cored and cut into 1- to 2-inch florets (about 8 cups)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large shallot, diced

¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock or water

¾ pound linguine

½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup (2 ounces) finely, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional cheese for serving

1
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the skillet and pouring any remaining bacon fat into a small bowl.

2
Heat the bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bread crumbs into a small bowl. Add half of the drained bacon to the bread crumbs and toss to combine. Set the bread crumb mixture aside.

3
Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Add the remaining bacon fat and the olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until the fats begin to shimmer, about 1 minute. Add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir to coat the florets with the oil. Season the cauliflower with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook the cauliflower, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly browned but still firm, about 10 minutes.

4
While the cauliflower cooks, bring 4 to 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pasta or soup pot.

5
While the water is coming to a boil, stir the garlic, shallot, and crushed red pepper flakes into the browned cauliflower. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring often. Add the remaining drained bacon and the white wine and chicken stock or water. Partially cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

6
While the sauce finishes cooking, salt the boiling water. Add the linguine, stir to separate the strands, and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Set aside about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the linguine and return it to the cooking pot.

7
Immediately add the cauliflower mixture, parsley, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to the drained linguine and toss to mix over very low heat for about 1 minute. Add enough of the reserved pasta cooking water, ½ cup at a time, to thinly coat and moisten the linguine. Toss to mix and cook over low heat until well combined and heated through, about 1 minute longer.

8
Remove the linguine from the heat, sprinkle half of the bread crumb mixture over it, and toss to combine. Divide the linguine among 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle an equal amount of the remaining bread crumb mixture over each serving. Serve immediately with more Parmigiano Reggiano on the side.

When Timing Is Everything

 

In many of these pasta dishes, we keep emphasizing the importance of timing. You need to plan on having the sauce cooked and ready to mix into the steaming, just-drained pasta. Otherwise, the undressed pasta sits around, getting cold and gummy. To avoid this dilemma, we recommend you first start boiling the pasta water, then start making the sauce. About 5 to 6 minutes before the sauce is done, add the pasta to the boiling water to cook it to al dente. However, if you find that the pasta is done a few minutes before the sauce, don’t continue to cook it. Simply drain the pasta and toss it with a little extra-virgin olive oil, which will help prevent the strands from sticking together until the pasta can be sauced.

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a first course

This is our new favorite quick and delicious red sauce, putting the lie to the notion that the two most important ingredients in a classic Italian sauce are time (like four hours) and a grandmother who stirs the sauce all through those four hours, pausing now and again to taste from her well-worn wooden stirring spoon, raising her eyes to heaven as she signals her approval. About a half hour is all you need here to get a wonderful sauce. We like it with orecchiette, cavatelli, or, if you can find it, authentic Sardinian
malloreddus:
The key is a smallish pasta shape with a curve or cup to catch the chunks of hearty sauce. The classic
malloreddus
is made with saffron incorporated in the flour. It gives the pasta a sharp floral fragrance that balances the rich sauce. If there’s no
malloreddus
around, adding saffron to the pasta cooking water yields the same flavor and an eye-pleasing yellow color.

4 to 5 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 medium-size onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground pork

⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 medium-size cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes with added puree

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 to 14 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or medium-size macaroni

2 generous pinches saffron threads crumbled

¼ cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus additional cheese for serving

1
Cook the bacon in a large deep pot or saucepan over medium heat until it begins to brown and some of the fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground pork, parsley, and garlic and cook until the pork is lightly browned, about 8 minutes, breaking up any large chunks of meat with a wooden spoon, adjusting the heat as necessary if the pork browns too quickly, and stirring occasionally.

2
Stir in the crushed tomatoes with their puree and the bay leaves, oregano, and ⅓ cup of water. Cover the pan and let come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat as necessary and let the sauce simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors blend, about 25 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

3
Bring 4 to 5 quarts of water to a boil in a large pasta or soup pot 10 to 15 minutes before the sauce is done. Salt the boiling water. Add the orecchiette and crumbled saffron threads and cook until the orecchiette is al dente, following the package instructions. Set aside ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the orecchiette.

4
Return the orecchiette and the reserved pasta cooking water to the cooking pot. Immediately add the sauce and the pecorino romano cheese and toss to mix well. Serve the orecchiette with more pecorino romano on the side.

Serves 4

The brininess of the clam broth (a combination of clam juice and the liquid released by the clams as their shells steam open) matches well with the saltiness of bacon. The tanginess of white wine tames the overall salty taste and some cream added at the end smoothes everything out. Finally, a generous amount of basil adds a fresh herbal accent to the dish.

24 littleneck clams

5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil, if necessary

Salt

12 ounces linguine

2 to 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

½ cup bottled clam juice

⅓ cup dry white wine

¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¾ cup light cream, or more if necessary

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional cheese for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

1
Place the clams in a large bowl, cover them with cold water, and let them soak for about 20 minutes so they can release their sand and grit. After soaking and draining the clams, use a firm brush to scrub off any additional sand or barnacles that may cling to the shells.

2
Cook the bacon in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat until browned and most of the fat is rendered, 6 to 9 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer two thirds of the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and the remainder of the browned bacon in the skillet. If necessary, add enough olive oil to the skillet to measure 2 tablespoons.

3
Bring 4 to 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pasta or soup pot. Salt the boiling water lightly or not at all. (Remember, the bacon and the clams will add salt to the dish.) Add the linguine, stir to separate the strands, and cook until al dente, following the package instructions.