What is the best way to measure pasta?

You can get all kinds of pasta-measuring gadgets, but I swear by my good old food scale. I aim for two ounces of uncooked pasta per person, but if you have hearty appetites around your table, go for three.

What is pasta water and what does it do for the recipe?

Once your pasta (for this or any other recipe) has cooked up in salted water, that water is infused with some of the lovely starch from the pasta, and it is perfect for drizzling into the cooked pasta with whatever else you are tossing with it. It gives the sauce a lightly silky and savory taste. So keep a measuring cup by your pasta pot and scoop out a cup before you drain.

Can I use any kind of bread to make fresh bread crumbs?

Pretty much yes! I tend to use whatever sandwich bread I have on hand , but in a pinch you can use anything from a hot dog roll to an English muffin.

What's the best way to grate Parmesan cheese?

I absolutely ADORE my official cheese grater, but if you only need a little, a microplane zester is perfect. And of course you can use the pre-grated kind, but if you have a chunk of Parm in your fridge it will keep for ages, and there is nothing like fresh grated!

Have a question I didn't cover?

Pop your question in the Comments section below the recipe card and I will get back to you pronto!

Pasta with Bacon Breadcrumb Sauce: An Easy Pantry Dish

Pasta with Bacon Bread Crumb Sauce

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This easy, speedy recipe for linguine with bacon bread crumb sauce is the ultimate in speedy suppertime comfort food, and you might just have all the ingredients on hand right now!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale

2 slices bread
8 ounces linguine
8 slices of bacon, chopped
Fresh ground pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

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Instructions

Tear the bread into quarters, pop it into your food processor and pulse until it is in crumbs. Set aside.
Cook the pasta in heavily salted water according to package directions. Scoop out a cup or so of pasta water right before you drain it.
While the pasta is cooking, put the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon to your liking. Scoop it out to drain on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of pepper to the drippings and sauté over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden. Scoop them out and set aside. (So much scooping!)
Add the pasta and the parmesan cheese to the skillet and toss. Drizzle in some of the reserved pasta water until you have a light sauce and toss again. Add the bacon and most of the breadcrumbs (hold back a few for garnishing) and toss again.
Divide among bowls, top with the rest of the breadcrumbs and some parsley and serve!

Notes

Pasta: We like a long pasta like linguine or spaghetti for this recipe, but any pasta you have on hand will work just fine.

Bacon: We like thick cut bacon, but any variety of bacon will do.

Parsley: This garnish is totally optional so if you live with people who don’t like green things in their food 🙋🏼‍♀️ 😂 you can leave it out.

Find it online: https://www.framedcooks.com/pasta-with-bacon-breadcrumb-sauce/