Blt Pasta Skillet Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S BLT PASTA

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a heavy skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat. Hold a paper towel with tongs and mop up excess bacon grease with the paper towel, leave about 2 teaspoons bacon grease in the skillet.
• Stir minced garlic and lemon zest into bacon in the skillet and let cook in residual heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir creme fraiche into bacon mixture.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and stir in 2 cups of ditalini. Cook till tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add pasta to the skillet. Stir pasta thoroughly into bacon and creme fraiche mixture.
• Return skillet to medium heat. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Mix in arugula, stirring until wilted, about 30 seconds, and turn off heat.
• Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir again and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

BLT SKILLET

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings., In the drippings, saute tomato and garlic for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in the bacon, lemon juice, salt and pepper. , Drain linguine; add to the skillet. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley; toss to coat.

PASTA AND BLT BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, lay the bacon in a large ovenproof skillet and cook over medium heat, turning once, until brown and slightly crispy, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Break up the bacon into bite-size pieces.
• Return the skillet to medium heat, add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and juices, kale, crushed red pepper, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the kale wilts, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and mozzarella to the sauce and stir to thoroughly coat.
• Mix together the ricotta and Parmesan in a small bowl. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the bacon pieces and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with additional basil if using.

BLT PASTA

Steps:

• Boil water for pasta and line a plate with paper towel: Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Line a plate with paper towels and set it aside for later use.
• Season the tomatoes: Place the tomatoes in a medium bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to combine. Taste the tomatoes and if they need additional sweetness, add a pinch of sugar and toss again.
• Combine sundried tomatoes and cheese: Into the bowl with the quartered tomatoes, add the sundried tomatoes and mozzarella.
• Cook the bacon in batches: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the bacon in a single layer, being sure not to crowd the pan. Work in batches to cook all of the bacon. Cook, flipping once or twice, until crispy, 5-8 minutes total. Remove the cooked bacon to the plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Pour it into a small heat-proof bowl. You will use it later to flavor the pasta and salad dressing.
• Crumble the bacon: Using your hands, crumble or tear the bacon into bite-sized pieces over the bowl of tomatoes and cheese.
• Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package instructions. When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well. Add the tomato-bacon mix and stir to combine, then taste the pasta and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Make the salad dressing and dress arugula: In a small jar with a lid, combine the lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and remaining 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and shake well. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Put the arugula into a medium bowl and toss it with the dressing.
• Serve: Divide the pasta between six plates and pile a handful of dressed greens on top of each serving.

BLT PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just under al dente, 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until crisp, stirring occasionally to make sure it does not burn, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Turn heat to medium and add the tomatoes to the skillet, tossing them to coat in the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper. As the moisture from the tomatoes releases, scrape any browned bits that have accumulated at the bottom of the pan (add a few tablespoons of the pasta water if you need to) and continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 5 to 7 minutes more. Add half the cooked bacon back to the skillet and toss to combine.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the pasta directly to the skillet tossing to coat with the sauce. Add the arugula and 1/4 cup of the pasta water and carefully toss (you'll have a very full pan) until the arugula wilts. Add the cheese and an additional 1/4 cup pasta water and toss together until the cheese emulsifies and the pasta is glossy with sauce. If needed, add another 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen the sauce.
• Serve in bowls and top with remaining bacon. Pass the grated Pecorino Romano at the table and season with flaky salt, if desired.