Description
Comforting creamy orecchiette with crispy bacon and broccoli brings Italian pasta magic to your dinner table. Rich parmesan and smoky bacon complement tender broccoli, creating a soul-satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Main Ingredients:
- 8.5 ounces (240 grams) orecchiette
- 7 ounces (200 grams) bacon bits
- 1 small broccoli head, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Dairy:
- 1.5 cups (360 milliliters) heavy cream
Instructions
- Bring a generously salted large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat, preparing for pasta cooking.
- Simultaneously, prepare ingredients by finely dicing onions, mincing garlic, and breaking broccoli into delicate, bite-sized florets.
- Cook orecchiette in boiling water approximately 3 minutes less than package recommendation, then introduce broccoli florets and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes.
- In a spacious skillet heated to high, render bacon until achieving a perfectly crisp, golden-brown texture.
- Reduce skillet heat and sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes until translucent, then incorporate thyme, tomato paste, and gochujang for depth of flavor.
- Gently pour heavy cream into the skillet, allowing it to simmer and create a luxurious sauce base, then lower heat to maintain a gentle warmth.
- Carefully drain pasta and broccoli, reserving half a cup of starchy cooking liquid to help emulsify the sauce.
- Transfer pasta and broccoli directly into the skillet, tossing thoroughly to ensure each piece is lavishly coated with the creamy sauce, adding reserved cooking water as needed for desired consistency.
- Season the dish with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to personal taste preferences.
- Plate immediately while hot, serving as a comforting and vibrant meal.
Notes
- Pasta Water Magic: Always reserve some starchy pasta water to help create a silky, clingy sauce that perfectly coats every pasta shape.
- Bacon Crispiness Control: Cook bacon slowly over medium heat to render fat evenly and achieve maximum crunchiness without burning.
- Vegetarian Swap: Replace bacon with smoked paprika or sun-dried tomatoes for a similar depth of flavor and smoky undertone.
- Spice Level Adjustment: Reduce or increase gochujang paste based on personal heat tolerance, allowing customization of the dish’s spiciness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 120mg