Category
Pasta is what is for dinner!
I really liked this recipe from the New York Times Dining and Wine recipes, but I made a few changes. My family and I loved it! I would definitely make this dish again!
Ingredients
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
6 ounces bacon, preferably thick cut, diced
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
4 scallions cut up and sauteed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Fine sea salt and black pepper, as needed
1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Fresh ricotta cheese, for serving
3 cups of whole basil and mint leaves, torn
Flaky sea salt, to finish
Directions
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds, then add the oil and heat until it thins out and easily coats the pan when swirled. Add bacon and cook until it starts to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, scallions, red pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until they burst, turn golden at the edges and shrivel up slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add pasta to pan and toss with tomato-bacon mixture; if the mixture looks dry add a little pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time. Cook over high heat until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Mix in the fresh basil and mint.
Divide pasta among warmed pasta bowls. Garnish with dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with sea salt and more pepper before serving.