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Pasta Romano With Bacon & Broccoli
This one-pot meal is comfort food that comes together quickly enough for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 5 qts. (5 L) water
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) salt
- 3 slices bacon
- 2 heads broccoli (about 1½ lbs./700 g), florets removed
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 2 oz. (60 g) pecorino Romano cheese (about 1 cup/250 mL grated)
- 1 oz. (30 g) Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup/125 mL grated)
- 1 lb. (450 g) cavatappi pasta (see cook's tip)
- 1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
- ½ tsp (2 mL) red pepper flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 tbsp (60 mL) butter
Directions
Bring the water to a boil in the Multipot. Add the salt.
Dice the bacon and cook in the 12" (30‑cm) Nonstick Skillet over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon fat.
Meanwhile, slice the broccoli with the Quick Slice. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and slice, cut-side down, with the Quick Slice. Grate the Romano and Parmesan cheeses with the Microplane® Adjustable Fine Grater.
Carefully lower the Silicone Collapsible Steamer & Strainer into the pot. Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 1 minute fewer than the instructions on the box, stirring occasionally.
Add the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic sliced with the Garlic Slicer to the skillet with the bacon fat. Cook over medium heat for 30 seconds, or until the spices and garlic are fragrant.
Add the broccoli and tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 4–5 minutes.
Carefully lift the pasta out of the water and transfer it to the skillet. Use a ladle to add 1 cup (250 mL) of the pasta water to the skillet. Add the cooked bacon, cheeses, and butter to the skillet. Simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the cheese is melted and the pasta water is slightly thickened.
Yield:
- 6 servings
Nutrients per serving:
U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 500, Total Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 470 mg, Carbohydrate 64 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugars 1 g, Protein 18 g
Cook's Tips:
This recipe can be made with any pasta you'd like: Just reduce the cooking time on the instructions by 1 minute.
Toasting the spices in bacon fat helps release their flavor and makes them more aromatic.
When you make pasta, save a little of the pasta water and add it to the sauce. The starch in the water will thicken the sauce and help it adhere better to the pasta.
