3134. RIGATONI with ITALIAN SAUSAGE and BACON

serves two 


1/2 medium onion
2 strips bacon
6 oz hot Italian sausage
2 tablespoons red wine
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce or pasta sauce
salt and pepper
6 oz rigatoni
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cut the onion in half vertically. Place one half cut-side down and slice lengthwise, as thinly as possible. Cut the bacon crosswise into lardons. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Return the pan to the stove. Remove the sausages from their casings and crumble into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely brown, about 3 minutes. Drain the fat. Add cooked meat to the cooked onion and bacon mixture. Set aside. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the red wine and de-glaze by scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Let the wine simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and return the onion, bacon and sausage mixture to the pan. Cover and simmer the sauce over low heat for about 20 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if desired. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve in warm bowls topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Laura Leigh Goyer, An Uneducated Palate, September 7, 2012