Chef John's BLT Pasta

The flavors of America's favorite sandwich, bacon, lettuce, and tomato, combine in a fresh and tasty BLT pasta dish that cooks up in a jiffy.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 502 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 cups ditalini pasta
• 4 cups baby arugula, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• 0.5 pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 0.66666668653488 cup creme fraiche

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Return skillet to medium heat. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Mix in arugula, stirring until wilted, about 30 seconds, and turn off heat.

Step 2

Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir again and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Step 3

Pour olive oil into a heavy skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat. Hold a paper towel with tongs and mop up excess bacon grease with the paper towel, leave about 2 teaspoons bacon grease in the skillet.

Step 4

Stir minced garlic and lemon zest into bacon in the skillet and let cook in residual heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir creme fraiche into the bacon mixture.

Step 5

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and stir in ditalini. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add pasta to the skillet. Stir pasta thoroughly into bacon and creme fraiche mixture.