Fusilli with Bacon, Spinach & Tomato

Fry it up in a pan

When I was younger and for an inconceivably long time, I didn’t eat any meat or chicken.  And, even before that, I did not grow up eating bacon. Not as a rule or anything, but that’s just how it played out, and I never gave it much thought.

I was blind, and now I see.

I’m still not a 5-strips-of-bacon-with-a-side-of-eggs kind of girl. What I love is the depth of flavor that bacon gives to cooking. When I make black beans from scratch, I cook the chopped onion and garlic in bacon and its rendered fat before adding the beans. When what I’m really looking for is the bacon itself, and not just its delicious fat, I will even drain off the bacon grease and use it to make a heavenly loaf of bread. Bacon. It’s not just for breakfast any more.

Here, I’ve used this lovely smoked pork to bring richness to an otherwise simple pasta dish. You won’t be disappointed. Just make sure the bacon you buy is gluten free. Most brands are, but do your homework just to be sure.

Fusilli with Bacon, Spinach, & Tomato
Ingredients
Kosher salt for pasta water
1/2 pound (8 ounces) bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed (with the flat side of a large knife) and peeled
1 package (10 ounces) chopped spinach, thawed and drained completely dry
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 pound (16 ounces) gluten-free fusilli (or other short, fat pasta)
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1. Set a large pot of water to boil, and salt it liberally with kosher salt.

2. While the water is boiling, in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until most of its fat is rendered (about 5 to 7 minutes), stirring frequently.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook, still stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is soft and fragrant (about 5 to 7 minutes more). If you’re not a big fan of garlic, remove and discard the smashed cloves.  They’ve done their job.  Add the spinach and tomatoes, and stir to combine well.

3. When the water boils, cook the pasta according to package directions, and then drain it, leave a bit of the pasta water behind with the pasta.  Add the butter to the hot pasta, and toss until the butter melts. Add the pasta to the bacon-spinach-tomato mixture, and toss gently to combine everything in a large bowl.

Serve immediately.  This recipe makes 4 servings.

I know I’ve been rather scarce these days, but it’ll be worth it when the book comes out. I promise.

Warmly,
Nicole

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