Spicy Pasta Alla Vodka with Bacon Pangrattato

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pasta

Total Time 45

Servings 4

Author Christine Ma

Make the bacon pangrattato. Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the strips of bacon and cook until browned on both sides. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain the fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same pan, add the breadcrumbs, rosemary, lemon zest, and red chili flakes. Toss to coat in the bacon fat and continue to toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown. Chop up the bacon into small pieces and add back to the breadcrumbs. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare the spicy pasta alla vodka sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat into a deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add the red chili flakes, oregano, and tomato paste and continue to cook until the tomato paste is caramelized and darkened, about 2 minutes.
Add the vodka and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to low.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the noodles. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add both the water and noodles to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add the grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
Portion the pasta into bowls and top with the bacon pangrattato. Finish with extra parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

You can make the bacon pangrattato up to 2 days in advance. Store it in the refridgerator until ready to use.