When I couldn’t sleep a few days back I went searching for a number of dishes I want to make. As a result, over the next several weeks you’ll enjoy the results of my evening with insomnia and it starts with this dish – Bacon and Tomato pasta.
For this adventure you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 16 ounces spaghetti pasta
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon or pancetta, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 4 tablespoons basil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For my version I substituted Chili powder for the Red Pepper Flakes and also added dried Parsley.
You’ll have two things at once going on here, just be ready for it.
- Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt to a pot of boiling water, and the pasta and cook until tender
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, add bacon and saute until bacon is crispy.
- Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate and remove 3/4 of the bacon fat from the pan.
- Add extra-virgin olive oil, onions, and red chili flakes. Cook until onions are translucent, add garlic, cook for 2 minutes then add tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes.
- Deglaze with wine.
- Drain pasta and add to the tomato mixture pan.
- Add basil and bacon.
- Toss with Parmesan, and add salt and pepper, to taste.
Your end result should look something like this…
Now here is the good new and the bad news.
The dish is good; however, the dish is NOT a main course. Seeing the effort time one needs to put into making the creation there is almost diminishing returns taking place.
Ok, on to the taste.
The wine, garlic and bacon mix perfectly. Add in the basil and there is a delicate addition to the dish that helps tie everything together. Yes, next time I make the dish, and I will make it again, I will give it a shot with the red pepper flakes. But was it stands it has the ability to add a little something to your meal.
Just remember, it’s not a main dish! it IS a main dish.
UPDATE:
Tina made a version of the dish and enjoyed it!
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#1 by Bob - December 11th, 2009 at 14:45
Main dish or not it looks awesome. Hm, I wonder if you could sub out sun dried tomatoes for the romas. Do the romas add a lot of liquid?
#2 by monicajane - December 11th, 2009 at 15:01
sounds awesome, though I don’t like Chili powder…in Chili let alone imagining it in pasta…
if I were substituting I’d go with cayenne first…
otherwise YUM…I love relatively simple red sauces of this sort…
I used one of my packs of bacon today…will make an appearance on the blog eventually…I’m way behind in writing stuff up.
#3 by Eileen Devlin - December 11th, 2009 at 16:05
I agree, the dish looks amazing. If you consider it more of a side what would go well with it?
#4 by Van Santos - December 11th, 2009 at 17:00
@Bob – Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it! As the tomatoes started Sautéing there was more liquid that I expected; however, but the time you are done it thinks up greatly. And by the time you toss everything you are left with just a coating on the pasta.
I would suspect sun dried would work as well.
@Monicajane – I couldn’t even taste the Chili powder. Not being a red pepper flake fan I can understand where you are coming from on that! Cayenne would also get a great place to start.
Don’t put pressure on writing stuff up, just enjoy it!
@Eileen
Thank you!
Well, if one takes this as a side dish I think it would go well with either a steak (yes, I know there is bacon in it… but…) OR some type of fish dish. The question is I don’t know what type of fish yet.
The wife suggested adding shrimp into the dish, and my friend JT (on who used to write here) also suggested taking this towards a carbonara dish.
I could see how making a cream sauce would make this into a main course rather quickly.
#5 by Reeni - December 11th, 2009 at 21:38
I can see why you would say this is not a main dish – but I could eat it as one and be very satisfied – whereas the next person may want more protein. I love pasta dishes like this! And I was thinking shrimp too, or even some hunks of chicken.
#6 by Tina - December 12th, 2009 at 09:53
Actually, this was our main dish last night! We had a Christmas luncheon and ate ourselves silly. Then I remembered this post when I read it on Google reader.
It was wonderful. I’ll post it soon.
#7 by Wandering Coyote - December 12th, 2009 at 12:10
Well, chuck a chicken breast in there and it would be a main course for sure! Still, it looks totally awesome, Van, and the flavours sound divine!
#8 by Van Santos - December 12th, 2009 at 19:34
@Renni – I think the chicken or shrimp would be a great add.
@Tina – YAY! I’m glad you enjoyed the dish, I cannot wait for the post.
@WC – As I had leftovers I’ll be eating this for dinner tomorrow. And trust me, this discussion has triggered many thoughts on how to build on this creation.
#9 by Van Santos - December 14th, 2009 at 00:28
I take it back – this could easily be a meal. I had this as leftovers and hits the spot as is!
I guess it is all about the mood.