Bacon Marinara

Where Smoke Meets the Vine

There are sauces that simmer quietly in the background of a life — ones that don't demand much, but give generously in return. This is one of them. The idea of folding bacon into a tomato sauce is older than it sounds, rooted in the Italian instinct to coax depth from whatever is at hand. What emerges is something richer than a classic marinara, warmer, with a gentle smokiness that threads through the sweetness of crushed tomatoes. It's the kind of sauce that makes a Tuesday feel like it was worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Alessi Organic Pasta (short cuts like Penne, Mezzi Paccheri or Rigatoni)
• 1 tablespoon Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 ounces bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Alessi Garlic Puree
• 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 28oz can Alessi Crushed Tomatoes
• Alessi Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
3. Cook bacon in oil until crispy, remove bacon from heat and crumble.
4. Cook onion in bacon grease until soft and translucent.
5. Add garlic puree and pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add bacon back into the pan and season with salt and pepper.
8. Combine pasta with sauce and toss to coat. Serve with grated Parmesan.