Since I have bacon...

I don't usually keep bacon in the house. This despite the fact that I could get my husband to eat shoe leather if it were wrapped in bacon. But the Beef bourguignon called for bacon and I only used 5 pieces so I had leftovers. Lo and behold, another recipe in my Everyday Food called for bacon and it looked perfect for Friday night:

Orecchiete with bacon and tomato sauce (from Everyday Food magazine)

1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut into one-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
grated parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over med-high heat. Add bacon and cook until browned and almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking them up as you go, and season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil; reduce to simmer and cook until slightly reduced, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook pasta one minute less than package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid; drain pasta and return to pot.

3. Add sauce and pasta water to pasta and toss to combine; cook on med-high until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Serve with cheese and parsley.


I couldn't find orecchiette so I used gemelli which worked well. This was quick (about 30 minutes), super easy and very tasty. It's a bit spicy but not overwhelming.