Penne with Popped Tomatoes and Bacon

Recipe Summary

Sweet tomatoes and decadent thick-cut bacon meet in this quick pasta dish. Tomatoes out of season? Suvir recommends substituting a 1/2 cup of store-bought or homemade crème frâiche and a 1/4 cup cream or milk for the tomatoes. Once the crème frâiche and cream comes to a simmer, add the pasta, toss to coat and turn off the heat. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Recipe Servings: 4 portions Recipe Preparation Time: 2 minutes Recipe Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb Delverde® Whole Wheat Penne Rigate Pasta 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon Lucini® Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound slab bacon cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil 1 large red onion, quartered and sliced crosswise 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved if large Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta and cook following the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Drain through a colander and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and black pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until the pepper is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bacon and cook until it starts to render some fat, about 1 minute. Stir in the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and cook until the onions wilt the and bacon takes on a bit of color around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover the pan, and cook until the tomatoes are starting to shrivel and shrink (but aren’t mushy), 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta and divide among bowls. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Courtesy of Chef Suvir Saran