Whole Wheat Pasta with Bacon
by Valerie on November 26, 2008 · 1 comment
So I have this ever-growing file of recipes to-try. The older a recipe is, the more likely I am to have forgotten about it, but once in a while I make a point to look at the older clippings – and that’s how this one, from the November 2006 Everyday with Rachael Ray, made its way to the top.
If you check out the recipe on the site, you will notice that my adaption of it means that you make the whole recipe of the sauce but use only half a pound of pasta. That’s because, in my experience, the magazine (and RR in general) “undersauces” pasta – every time I make a pasta recipe, I figure, oh, if there’s leftover sauce after I make a half pound of pasta, I will just freeze it. And there is never any leftover sauce.
I made this with whole wheat pasta, and I do think it added a dimension to the dish that may be lost with regular pasta.
Also, while I was cooking this, I figured I would likely not post it (I have many pictures and recipes for future WCW’s), so didn’t take a picture of it. But, as I mentioned yesterday, I have not had a chance to resize pictures, so decided to post it after all – seeing as it’s NaBloPoMo and all.
Whole Wheat Pasta with Bacon (Close Adaptation to RR magazine’s recipe)
Serves 2-4
1/2 pound whole wheat rigatoni (CGL Note: I used fusili and it worked fine)
1/3 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine (chicken broth works too)
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, such as San Marzano
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, to pass around the table
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water (CGL Note: if you want, I never do, I know, I know, I’m supposed to), add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladle of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the bacon renders fat and crisps at the edges. Add the bay leaves and onion and season with a little salt and a healthy dose of pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer to let the flavors combine. (CGL Note: I let this simmer for a good 20 minutes before I was satisfied with the flavor).
Add the pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too dry. Transfer the pasta to a serving platter, discard the bay leaves and pass grated cheese around the table.
General Disclosures & Disclaimers
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
sounds yummy, I must try this sometime…;-)