I can’t believe it’s already halfway through August, which means we are heading towards the end of summer very soon. While I will miss the warmer weather, I am also excited for the fall spices and college football. Just yesterday, I received the most beautiful postcard from my close friend, Ada. She is currently traveling throughout Europe this summer. Reading her stories about delicious food she has sampled and historic sites she has visited reignited my wanderlust. It reminded me of the trip Kevin and I took to Italy earlier this year. Back in May, Kevin and I traveled to Italy for our honeymoon. We soaked in the historical sites during the day and enjoyed the most splendid pasta during the evenings. Italian food is one of my favorite cuisines. I love how even the simplest forms of pasta has immense depth of flavor. Kevin and I even took a pasta making class where the chef who taught the class introduced us to authentic Roman pasta and sauces. He discussed in detail the types of sauces paired with different shapes of pasta. One of his favorite sauces (cacio e pepe) also happens to be one of my favorite sauces. Throughout the cooking class, Kevin and I learned how to make pasta from scratch and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Thinking back to our trip to Italy inspired me to make some cacio e pepe rigatoni with bacon and arugula. Lemon cacio e pepe spaghetti is my favorite go-to pasta dish when I have no idea what I want to make for dinner. I omitted the lemon zest this time around and folded in some bacon and arugula. I used about 3-4 ounces of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a tricolor peppercorn blend, crispy bacon, and fresh arugula. All of the ingredients added different textures and flavors to the pasta. The Parmigiano Reggiano cheese added a salty bite. The tricolor peppercorn added a boldness and slight spicy kick. The bacon added a crispiness, smokiness, and saltiness to the dish. The fresh arugula added a peppery and sharp note to the pasta. From start to finish, the dish took about 30 minutes. It was simple to prepare, quick to combine, and delicious when served. My cacio e pepe rigatoni with bacon and arugula was the perfect meal for a busy week. This week has been a fairly busy week for me at work and outside of work. While I work, I am constantly juggling projects and immediate deadlines. Outside of work, I just began a plant-based nutrition certificate program. The only break I took today after work was to enjoy some pasta for dinner prior to resuming my studies. During especially busy weeks, having a box of my favorite pasta shapes in the pantry, and a few ingredients in my fridge has been an immense time and money saver. I can’t even count how many times a box of pasta and a couple of pantry ingredients have saved me from picking up the phone and ordering food. Thank you, cacio e pepe rigatoni with bacon and arugula, for keeping me from ordering unnecessary (and often unhealthy) takeout.
For the cacio e pepe rigatoni with bacon and arugula:
· 1 (12-ounce) package rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package instructions
· 6 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· 3-4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 2 ounces fresh arugula
Directions:
1) Cook the pasta according to package instruction. Reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the pasta water.
2) As the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until desired crispiness, about 5-10 minutes. Drain some of the excess fat rendered from the bacon.
3) When the pasta is done cooking, toss the pasta into the skillet with the cooked bacon. Sprinkle in the kosher salt. Fold in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. Top with the fresh arugula.
Takeaways: You can use any pasta shape you like for this dish. For a vegetarian option, you can swap out the bacon and add halved fresh cherry tomatoes and some lemon zest. You can also use spinach in place of arugula (for a milder tasting green). This versatile pasta dish can be easily customized to your liking.