Since discovering De Cecco, I can almost recreate the taste of our summer trip to central Italy last year in my own kitchen. For a dried pasta, De Cecco cooks to amazingly near perfect al dente texture without being too mushy or doughy. This quick and simple dish combines mine and hubby’s favorite things: I love greens (especially greens with a big punch of flavor like spicy and slightly bitter arugula) and he loves all things bacon.
Pasta with Arugula, Roasted Red Pepper, Bacon, and Parmesan
Recipe yields 3 servings
8 oz pasta (I used linguine)
4 strips thick cut bacon, fatty ends trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 dried red peppers, crushed (or 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes), optional for those who prefer no heat
1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced (I used jarred roasted red pepper, about 4-5 large pieces)
6-8 cups arugula, packed, roughly chopped (you can also use spinach but spinach doesn’t hold up as well under heat and isn’t quite as flavorful)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
- Cook pasta per package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water
- Meanwhile, fry bacon over medium-high heat in a large (12″), deep skillet.
- Remove bacon to paper-towel lined plate, crumble or tear into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 1 to 2 tbsp of bacon fat in skillet.
- Saute garlic and crushed red pepper in the reserved bacon fat over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until garlic starts to turn golden.
- Add in diced roasted red pepper and arugula. Add in 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and lemon juice, and cover skillet for 1-2 minutes, until arugula is slightly wilted.
- Add cooked pasta and most of the Parmesan cheese to the skillet. Toss with tongs until all ingredients are well-mixed and pasta is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Top plated pasta with bacon crumbles and remainder Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
as calculated by Sparkpeople Recipe Calculator
Calories 430 | Fat 11g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 1405mg
Carbohydrate 63g | Fiber 4g | Sugars 6g | Protein 21g
Vitamin A 28% | Vitamin B-6 6% | Vitamin B-12 6% | Vitamin C 23%
Vitamin E 2% | Calcium 32%| Folate 14% | Iron 20%
Donna Cooks 
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