Pasta with Bacon Bread Crumbs

I think I have made my undying love for bacon abundantly clear to all of you over the years, so why it took me so long to figure out that pasta with bacon bread crumbs would be a good thing to make for supper is a mystery even to me.  Pasta with bread crumbs has always been one of my go-to comfort and/or I-have-no-more-ideas-for-what-to-make-for-dinner recipes.  But when you cook the breadcrumbs in bacon drippings they are crispy, and toss them with the pasta along with a little butter and parsley and red pepper and of course chopped bacon…well, the problem then becomes, will I ever be able to make anything ELSE for dinner now that I have realized the wonder that is pasta with bacon bread crumbs?

It’s pretty much as easy as it sounds.  Chop up some bacon and cook it up until it is as crispy as you like.  Scoop it out and drain it, but leave those delectable drippings in the pan, because you are now going to whirl some bread around in your food processor until it is crumbs, add it to the skillet with a little red pepper for zing, and stir it until everything is nice and crispy.

And while we are on the topic of bread, whenever I have a leftover end of a loaf or a roll that is nearing the end of its freshness, I whirl it into crumbs in the food processor and put it in a freezer bag.  That way when I need bread crumbs in a hurry there they are, and I’m not tossing out bread.

Meantime, cook up your choice of pasta – that pasta up there is mafalda which I got at my favorite Italian store, Fontanarosa’s, but any wide flat pasta will be great.  Fettuccine, tagliatelle, even a wide round pasta like ziti.  Save a little of the pasta water before you drain it, and now it’s time to make the magic happen.

Toss the cooked pasta with a little butter and the bacon, drizzling in just enough pasta water to make a light sauce.  Gently stir in the crumbs and parsley, and then ladle it out on to warmed plates.

I will admit that there are other ways to luxuriate in bacon, but if I had to pick one and only one (and please don’t make me), this pasta would be IT.

What’s your favorite bacon dish?  Because I might need to make that too.

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Pasta with Bacon Bread Crumbs

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This quick and easy recipe for pasta with bacon bread crumbs might be the best comfort food ever invented – try it and see!

• Author: Kate Jackson
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (whirl a slice or two of bread in your food processor)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 6 ounces wide flat pasta (mafalda, fettuccine, tagliatelle, bow-ties – ziti will work well too)
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. Cook bacon in olive oil in a skillet until crispy. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, leaving drippings in skillet.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in heavily salted water according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before you drain it.
3. Add bread crumbs and red pepper to skillet and cook until crispy, stirring constantly.
4. Return pasta to pot after draining and toss with butter and bacon. Add just enough pasta water to make a light sauce. Reserve a small amount of the bread crumbs for topping and add remaining crumbs and parsley to pasta. Toss gently.
5. Divide among warmed plates, top with remaining bread crumbs and serve.