3354. ORECCHIETTE CARBONARA with BACON and LEEKS

makes four servings

 
4 applewood-smoked bacon slices, diced 
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces 
10 oz. orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or small shells 
2 large eggs, room temperature 
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet if necessary. Add leeks and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to leeks in skillet and stir to heat. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. (Return skillet to very low heat if egg mixture is runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle.) Add some of remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to pasta if needed to moisten. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.


bacon recipe source: Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Bon Appétit.com

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

1836. SWISS CHEESE SAUCED PASTA SHELLS with CRUMBLED BACON

makes four servings


1 cup frozen green peas
10 ounces uncooked medium shell pasta
2-1/2 cups fat-free (skim) milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces sliced reduced-fat Swiss cheese
4 slices reduced-sodium bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 12X8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Place peas in colander. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain over peas in colander; set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together milk, flour, mustard, salt and pepper in large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; add Swiss cheese and whisk until smooth.

Place peas and pasta in bottom of prepared pan. Pour sauce evenly over pasta and peas; top with crumbled bacon. Bake 22 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; let stand 5 minutes before serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Learning Channel, Cooking | the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

1778. MINI SHELL PASTA with a CREAMY SMOKED BACON and PEA SAUCE

serves four to six


10 slices smoked streaky bacon
a small bunch of fresh mint
150 grams Parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken stock cube, optional
400 grams dried mini shell pasta
olive oil
a knob of butter
300 grams frozen peas
2 heaped dessertspoons crème fraîche
1 lemon

To prepare your pasta: Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Finely grate the Parmesan

To cook your pasta: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the stock cube (if using). Stir until it’s dissolved, then add the mini shells and cook according to the packet instructions. Get a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil and the butter. Add the bacon to the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp. Meanwhile, finely chop your mint leaves. As soon as the bacon is golden, add your frozen peas and give the pan a good shake. After a minute or so, add the crème fraîche and chopped mint to the bacon and peas. Drain the pasta in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the frying pan. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta. When it’s all bubbling away nicely, remove from the heat. The sauce should be creamy and delicious but if it’s too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit. Add the grated Parmesan and give the pan a shake to mix it in

To serve your pasta: Divide your pasta between plates or bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves. Lovely with a simply dressed green salad.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jamie Oliver, Jamie's Ministry of Food

776. PASTA with BACON, BROCCOLI and ANCHOVIES

8 oz cubed bacon
6-8 anchovy fillets
1 cup of broccoli florets
2-3 cups of pasta shells
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 cloves fresh garlic
1-2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped italian parsley

Fill a large pan with water, add salt and bring to boil. Heat olive oil in a skillet, when hot add bacon, garlic and anchovy fillets. use a wooden spoon to mash the anchovies into a paste. Add pepper and broccoli to skillet. Add pasta shells to boiling water. Chop parsley. Drain pasta, toss shells into skillet. Serve in bowls, garnish with parsley, parmesan and extra pepper.


courtesy of: Mannix and The LoveBite

612. CHICKPEA, BACON, and ARTICHOKE PASTA

serves 4


1 pack of small pasta shells
1/2 cup pf thick sliced bacon, diced
(1) 4 oz can of chickpeas, strained and washed
6 small artichokes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp of rosemary
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 clove of garlic, grated
5 tbsp of white wine
2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese
5 tbsp of olive oil
salt

Boil salted water for the pasta. Sautee the bacon, rosemary and garlic in the oil over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the artichoke and chickpeas, the wine and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the artichoke slices are tender. Boil the past for 8-10 minutes. Strain the pasta and mix it in a large bowl with the artichoke sauce. Add the Parmesan and salt to taste.


courtesy of: Mama's Health, PO Box 90097, Pasadena, California 91109