Good Cooking since 1995
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Works in most Browsers
Amount/Measure/Ingredient:
8 slices hickory or cherry wood
smoked bacon, each slice cut into 6 pieces
2 tbsp.
butter
1/4 cup scallions, sliced very thin
1/4 cup
white wine, chardonnay is a good choice
1 cup heavy
cream
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup whole or part-skim ricotta
3/4
cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb, rigatoni
2
tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 cups, baby spinach,
washed and drained
Preparation:
Cook the bacon crisp, using
whatever method you like. Fry it in a pan, bake it in the
oven or microwave it on paper towels. (The method I prefer
when making it at home, otherwise in a restaurant, I'll
bake it in an oven. Keep it warm until adding it to the
pasta.
Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking
or a little bit ahead of time. Melt the butter in a pot
and add the scallions and over medium heat, saute for 1
minute, add the white wine and cook 3 minutes more. Add
the heavy cream and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and
simmer 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg, pepper and salt.
Reduce the heat to low and add the ricotta and parmesan,
and stir until smooth and creamy---don't let it boil; but
it should be steaming hot. Keep it warm until the pasta is
cooked.
The rigatoni should be cooked al dente, at
the last minute, before serving, according to package
instructions and especially with enough salt in the water
so it tastes like the ocean! Drain but don't rinse it and
put back into the cooking pot with 2 tbsp. extra virgin
olive oil and spinach and stir it all in. Then add all the
sauce and half of the bacon, stir again and then place it
all in a bowl to serve. Top with the remaining bacon ad
sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese!
To really
make this dish great, everything needs to be assembled at
the last minute. You can make the sauce a little bit ahead
of time but the pasta is a different story. Cook it al
dente, add the sauce and other ingredients, and serve it
right away. That means your guests if any, should be
sitting at the table ready to eat as you are putting it
into a serving bowl!