3970. ONE-POT PASTA with CHICKEN, BACON and BBQ SAUCE

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast half

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 strips bacon, diced

½ medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups bone broth (see Notes)

1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, diced

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes

3 cups tricolor radiatori or other short pasta

⅓ cup BBQ sauce (homemade or store-bought)

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Warm bacon fat or olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pot. Cook until golden brown without turning, 6-8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool for 5 minutes and then dice; it's OK if the chicken is raw in the middle as it will continue to cook when it's added back to the pot.

In the same pot, cook bacon and onion on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon crisps and onion starts to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add bone broth, tomatoes with juice, milk, thyme, chili flakes, pasta and diced chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Uncover and continue simmering until pasta is cooked and liquid reduces, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in BBQ sauce and cheese. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes: Bone broth is made by simmering meaty bones for hours until they break down and release vitamins and minerals.


bacon recipe source: Alison Strickland (@AlisonTCG), Two of a Kind, June 2, 2015

3036. RADIATORI with BACON, BUTTERNUT SQUASH and CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

1 lb. radiatori
4 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
8 oz. bacon
1-1.5 lbs. butternut squash (4 cups when peeled and chopped)
3 cups chanterelle mushrooms
2 cups white wine
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly grated parmesan and flat leaf parsley for garnish

Peel and chop a butternut squash into ½” pieces. You will need 4 cups worth, (this may only take a ½ a squash.) Set aside squash pieces. Fill a large pot with salted water, and bring it to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, chop the bacon into ½” pieces. Add the bacon to a large (preferably non-stick pan). Cook it over medium heat until all of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and let it drain on a napkin. Add the shallots to the bacon fat and sweat the shallots over medium heat until they are soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash and the thyme, and toss to coat with the shallots and fat. Add the white wine to the pan and let the squash simmer in the wine until tender, about 15-20 minutes. When the squash has 10 minutes left, add the mushrooms to the pan. This is also the time to put the pasta into the boiling water. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about a ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the large sauté pan and toss the pasta with all the mushrooms and squash. If it seems dry, add the reserved pasta water. Add the bacon and some minced parsley. Add freshly grated parmesan and stir to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Heather Christo, October 6, 2010