Great pasta. It’s something I don’t come across often; great pasta is hard to come by because, let’s face it, most pasta is delicious. There’s just something about a good noodle, some sauce, and a bunch of cheese that just can’t be bad (excluding, maybe, spaghetti-o’s.) Pasta is practically fool-proof, and so easy, that most of the time when I’m making it, it’s because I want something quick, satisfying, and ahem, sprinkled with parmigiano-reggiano. I hardly put any real effort into my pasta—and I’m always happy with the result.
But every once in a while, a pasta dish gets made with some extra time, thought, and love. The ingredients are paired with care, the cooking of everything is closely watched. Bacon is involved. The happy result of these pastas is greatness. You sit your friends down at the table, and they’re thinking cool, pasta. Can’t be bad. And then they eat… and they are like, totally wowed. Like, oh my gosh this is the best pasta ever and I can’t believe everything works so well and it doesn’t even need anything else and Robin you are the coolest girl in the world will you marry me?
Now that’s pasta greatness. It doesn’t come around often, nor should it, or you’d have the neighborhood banging down your doors. But great pasta should be made every once in a while and you’d be smart to make this one. It takes a bit longer than your everyday pasta dish but not much longer—it’s still an easy-enough recipe to be suitable for these late, lazy, Summer days.
The pine nuts are toasted to enhance their flavor, the sliced zucchini well-salted (and cheesed) before roasting, and, if you are too lazy (like me) to make your own pasta, the good stuff should be used—either fresh from your local market or fancy, dried pasta imported from Italy. Both options will be a dollar or two more than the cheap stuff but since this pasta doesn’t have a tomato sauce, it’s really worth it.
And please, don’t shy away from the bacon grease, it simple must to be added to the dish. Great pastas are rare luxuries and calories are not to be counted.
Great Pasta
serves 4
- 4 small-medium zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 cup parmigianno-reggianno, grated
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt, pepper
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 6 slices good bacon, cut crosswise into three pieces
- 1 pound good dried or fresh spaghetti pasta
- another 1/3-1/2 cup parmigianno-reggianno
- small bunch of basil, cut into a chiffonade
- generous pinch of red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place zucchini slices on a big baking sheet (you may need to use two) and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and cheese. Drizzle olive oil over slices. Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and beginning to crisp up.
Meanwhile, start cooking your bacon in a pan over low heat. In a small skillet or saucepan, toast pine nuts over medium heat until fragrant. Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions.
Drain pasta and place back into the pot. When done, add in the bacon (with the grease!), pine nuts, and zucchini. Throw in the basil and red pepper flakes. Stir around so everything gets coated in that beautiful sheen that is bacon grease. Serve topped with extra cheese.
Subscribe
August 25, 2008 at 7:15 pm
My God, this sounds delicious. Anything with bacon grease is good – but pasta?? This is everything that is right with the world coming together in one dish.
August 25, 2008 at 9:11 pm
My favorite pasta recipe of all time is very similar to this. It is simple and uses basil and zucchini but it is a bit more involved. I will definitely have to try it!
August 25, 2008 at 9:51 pm
This does sound wonderful, really unique. Something about zucchini and parmiggiano, it’s a wonderful combination. Reminds me of baked or fried zucchini that has parmesan in the bread coating, outstanding!
August 25, 2008 at 11:54 pm
I have zucchinis, I have parmeggiano, and I have spaghetti. This is a great-looking pasta dish and I can’t wait to try it.
August 25, 2008 at 11:55 pm
And bacon fat: for sure! It’s the Atlas of this dish.
August 26, 2008 at 10:16 am
Bacon grease is always a good thing in my book! And this is a great time for this dish, as everyone (including me!) is swimming in zucchini!
August 26, 2008 at 10:52 am
What a strong woman you are to bravely take healthy pasta and zucchini and then make me swoon with the bacon. Ohhhh!
August 26, 2008 at 11:27 am
I figure bacon grease is no worse than butter, so I use it all the time! I even make salad dressing with it sometimes. :P
This looks like a nice way to use some of the squash in the garden.
August 26, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Looks wonderful! Bacon really does make everything better.
August 26, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Wow, that looks so good. Must try. Thanks!
I’ve started cooking with pine nuts and chicken and so far good results.
August 26, 2008 at 9:27 pm
That sounds fantastic! The only thing that might make it better is maybe sun dried tomato. (But I’m a little addicted to them,so that might just be me).
August 27, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Nice ingredients here! If you haven’t already, you should submit this to Presto Pasta Nights!
August 27, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Robin – yes, what Hillary said. You should. It would be a wonderful submission.
I’m reading your post and I’m thinking great pasta? Cool. Good. Uh huh. And then you drop this on me: Bacon is involved.
*Dies*
I love the recipe title. As for the pasta noodles, I’m all for buying quality. I found the most wondrous brand the other day at my Italian market, one I hadn’t noticed before. It was talking about it being made with brass plates and it being coarse… yadda yadda… but oh my god it was true. It tasted fabulous. So yeah, if you don’t make your own, like I don’t, then spend the extra money on a quality package cause damn if it doesn’t make a gigantic difference.
Sorry, I rambled. ;)
August 29, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Oh, what a lovely world it is when so many people share that un-movable love for bacon that you do!
I’ll have to go over to presto pasta, thanks Hillary!
Melissa- That pasta sounds fantastic! Do you know the name of the brand? Quality is so key.
August 30, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Swoon – yum! This looks so good!
September 1, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I want your countertop. Can you UPS Ground it to me? I hear the charge is cheaper.
September 3, 2008 at 9:49 am
Bacon! I love bacon and pasta!! My hubby would scoff at this recipe if I used the grease. Maybe I’ll try it without subbing in a good oil.
Did you know there’s a FB group called ’1.000,000 Strong for Bacon’?
September 3, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Oh dear … I think I know what I’m having for dinner tonight! Looks absolutely amazing!
September 4, 2008 at 9:38 am
Oh – this looks and sounds like a really good pasta. Roasting the zucchini with parmesan is absolutely inspired!!!
I reckon dried pasta would work best – and I totally agree it’s worth spending a little extra on good quality dried… it probably only works out at extra 30c per person!!
September 23, 2008 at 10:48 am
Bacon, roasted zucchini, and good Parmigiano-Regg over pasta–so simple, yet so sophisticated. This sounds like a terrific autumn meal!
March 3, 2009 at 6:09 am
Hello webmaster
I would like to share with you a link to your site
write me here preonrelt@mail.ru
April 15, 2009 at 8:34 am
The style of writing is very familiar to me. Have you written guest posts for other bloggers?