Friday, February 07, 2014

3196. BACON PIZZA PASTA

1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed or finely minced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 cup pizza sauce
4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder (preferably granulated onion)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder (preferably granulated garlic)
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1 pound dry small shell, rotini, or elbow pasta
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
15 slices of pepperoni, cut into quarters

Stack the bacon strips and cut down through the stack at 1/4-inch intervals. When done, you should have a pile of thin bacon strips. Put these into a large stockpot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Add the onion and minced or pressed garlic when the bacon is about halfway cooked. Continue frying the bacon, onions and garlic until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy bacon with the onions and garlic to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour the remaining bacon grease out of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, tomato paste, pizza sauce, beef broth, water, Italian seasonings, oregano, salt, and onion and garlic powders. Pour this into the pan from which you drained the bacon grease. Stir well, raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. When it is boiling, gently stir in the dry pasta, add a lid to the pan and drop the heat to low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking. When the pasta is tender, turn off the heat, add all of the grated cheese, the crispy bacon, and the chopped pepperoni and stir gently until the cheese is melted in completely and everything is evenly distributed. Serve hot with additional grated cheese if desired.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Rebecca Lindamood, Foodie With Family, June 28, 2012

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