Bacon With Bitter Greens And Pasta Recipes

PASTA WITH WILTED GREENS, BACON AND FRIED EGG

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it's just al dente. (It should still have quite a bite to it; you'll finish cooking it in the skillet.) Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it has rendered all its fat and the pieces are crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate or bowl, leaving the fat behind in the skillet; set bacon aside.
• Return the skillet with the bacon fat to medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry the eggs, using a spoon to encourage the bacon fat to come up around the whites and cause them to puff slightly. Cook the eggs until the whites are just set and crisped around the edges and the yolk is still bright yellow and runny, about 3 minutes.
• Using a spatula, transfer eggs to another paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon fat behind; set eggs aside.
• Return the skillet with the bacon fat to medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it's softened and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add kale by the handful, letting it wilt between additions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is totally wilted and softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water to the skillet, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom. Season with salt and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Continue to cook at medium heat, tossing the pasta occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup pasta water and continue to cook, tossing to encourage the starches to release, until you've got a thick, glossy sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. (The pasta should also be completely tender at this point.) Add 1/4 cup grated cheese and more freshly ground pepper; toss to coat.
• Divide pasta among bowls and crumble crispy bacon over. Top with additional cheese and a fried egg. Make sure to break the yolk before eating.

HONEYCRISP APPLE, CHEDDAR, BACON AND BITTER GREENS SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat a griddle over medium-high heat.
• Lay the bacon strips on the griddle. Cook the bacon until browned and crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and reserve the bacon fat.
• To build your grilled cheese, place 1/4 cup of the cheese on the bottom of a slice of bread. Top with 2 slices bacon, 4 slices apple, some arugula, 1/4 cup more of the cheese and another slice of bread. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Spread each side of the sandwich with some of the butter. Griddle until the bread is toasted, golden brown and delicious, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Cut each sandwich into 4 pieces and serve.

BACON WITH BITTER GREENS AND PASTA

Steps:

• Olive oil + bacon + onions (NOTHING ELSE) in pan until they're brown, then add 2 cups of H2O and the garlic (it burns easily, so you don't want to risk it with the bacon/onions). Bring to a fast simmer. Add about a cup of SMALL dried pasta, something like ditalini, orchetti, little bow ties, anything in that vein. Stir occasionally as the pasta cooks and absorbs the liquid. When the water's mostly absorbed and the pasta almost done add the GREENS. Hit this with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir to incorporate, and then put the lid on this. Also if you can handle heat, I highly recommend some red pepper flakes here - CHOICE Wait 3 minutes, open lid and check if the rawness has cooked off the greens (should be dark green, glossy from olive oil), pasta is done. If not yet, give it another minute or two, but you should be close. Once greens ready and pasta done, dump out, feast.

LINGUINE WITH COLLARD GREENS AND BACON

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat from pot. Add pine nuts to pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
• Add shallots to pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add oil and half of collard greens and cook, stirring, until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens and salt and continue to cook, stirring, until greens are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Add water and cover pot, then simmer greens, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 15 minutes.
• While collard greens are simmering, cook linguine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
• Drain linguine in a colander. Add drained linguine and tomatoes to pot with greens and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Season pasta with salt and pepper and serve topped with bacon, pine nuts, and cheese shavings.

SPRING GREENS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add spring greens and cook for about 5 mins until tender, then drain well.
• Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan, add bacon and cook until crisp. Tip in the greens, toss and warm through. Grate over nutmeg, season, and serve.

TURNIP GREENS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Place bacon and onion in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, covered, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Place turnip greens into the skillet, a handful at a time if necessary, until wilted down, 5 to 7 minutes. Add coffee, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Taste the liquid and adjust seasonings if necessary. Reduce heat to low or medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Uncover and cook until liquid has reduced and greens are tender, about 10 minutes more.

BACON AND PARMESAN PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• Place the chopped bacon and onion in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir until the bacon is crisp and the onion is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• While the bacon and onion are cooking, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl, and stir in the olive oil to coat the pasta.
• Drain the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving a couple of tablespoons or to taste. Stir the cooked bacon mixture into the pasta, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Stir to mix in the cheese, and serve.

PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BITTER GREENS

Steps:

• Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook, stirring once or twice, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes.
• Remove half the onions and set aside. Add broth or water to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, scraping bottom of pan, for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water until a little underdone, and drain. Add to broth; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add greens; cook, covered, until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in additional tablespoon of butter, if desired. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, garnish with reserved onions, and serve.