Pasta Americana

My sister Tomi is a great cook and has the gift of hospitality. One Christmas she and her family were visiting us from the east coast and we decided to throw a cocktail party to introduce them to several of our neighbors and friends. At about 8pm the cocktail party turned into a dinner party and we looked at each other saying “What can we make for a party of 12?” Tomi quickly offered to whip up a hearty pasta dish sure to satisfy the hungry bunch. Sure enough, the super easy and delicious pasta was a hit.

I now make it for Sunday night dinner and always think of my sister when I make it. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! The recipe below is modified for 6-8 people.

Ingredients

¾ lb. bacon
1 sweet onion, medium dice
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large cans of peeled San Marzano tomatoes (or one can of peeled and one can of crushed if you want it more saucy)
1/3 cup full bodied wine (like a Cabernet)
2 tablespoons of fresh Rosemary, chopped (1 tablespoon if using dry rosemary)
Shredded Parmesan cheese or cubed fresh mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 -1 ½ lb. of spaghetti pasta

Directions

1. Wash and chop the fresh ingredients and set aside (onion, garlic and rosemary).
2. Chop bacon into 1inch squares and place in a large frying pan on medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes until soft but not fully cooked.
3. Drain part of the fat if you like but you want the bacon to infuse the dish with flavor)
4. In a second large frying pan, sauté the sweet onion about 5 minutes.
5. Add partially cooked bacon and minced garlic and continue to sauté for about 1-2 minutes more.
6. Add the tomatoes and red wine and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the rosemary and then let the sauce simmer on low-medium heat for 15-30 minutes. Cover up the sauce after about 20 minutes so the sauce doesn’t dry out.
8. While sauce simmers, boil a large pot of water and about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil. When pot starts to boil, add the pasta and cook as per package directions.
9. Serve sauce over pasta with Parmesan sprinkled on top. As an option, to the Parmesan, you can place a small bowl of cubed mozzarella at the table so guests can garnish as they wish.
10. All you need is a salad and garlic bread and you have a hearty meal!