Bacon Lemon Pasta
This is one of our favorite meals. When I have no idea what to make for dinner, this
is what I make. Its based off of the classic Cacio e Pepe. The trick to making this dish
sing is to not be shy with black pepper, garlic and lemon.
You probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry or fridge. Once you
create this dish a few times you’ll easily be able to do it without referring to a recipe.
If I don’t have asparagus on hand I like to throw in some thinly sliced broccoli or
extra baby spinach. You can also spice it up by amping up the red pepper flakes.
12 oz Spaghetti Noodles
4-5 slices thick cut Bacon, diced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
½ lb Asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup lLemon juice
¾ cup grated Parmesan + more for finishing
3 handfuls fresh Arugula
Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and toss in the bacon. While the bacon cooks
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and throw in your spaghetti. Cook
according to spaghetti package instructions.
Once the bacon has crisped, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the saucepan. Let
it drain. Empty the saucepan of the extra bacon grease. Add 2 tablespoons of olive
oil to the pan; add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the black pepper and red
pepper flakes, cook for 1 minute, add the asparagus and cook until asparagus turns a
bright green.
Add the lemon juice to the pan, let cook for one minute. This will deglaze the pan.
You can also use the back of your spoon to loosen the yummy brown bits off the
bottom of the pan.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water to add to the finished dish.
Finally, add the pasta and ¾ cup of the grated Parmesan to saucepan. Toss to coat
the pasta. Add the reserved pasta water a little at a time to help coat the pasta.
Lastly, add the arugula and toss until wilted.
Plate the pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.
Pro tip from Lann: get the remaining pasta out of the saucepan quick and soak that pan!