Spicy Tomato Rigatoni with Bacon and Broccoli
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- large deep saucepan- This should be large enough to boil the rigatoni and then combine it with the sauce.
- Shallow wide pan - To make the sauce.
Ingredients
- 200 g streaky bacon (about 8 rashers)
- 800 g canned whole tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 200 g broccoli (including stems)
- 320 g rigatoni pasta (or other tube-shaped pasta)
- 40 g parmesan
Instructions
- Pasta Water - bring plenty of salted water to boil in a large saucepan.
- Render Bacon – chop the bacon. Add to a cold dry pan. Add ½ cup (125ml) water and stir to combine. Spread the bacon out in a thin layer. Put the pan over low heat and cook until the water is cooked off and the bacon fat is starting to render (melt). Increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the bacon is crisp and browned and all the bacon fat is melted. Reduce the heat if the bacon is getting too browned.200 g streaky bacon
- Crush Tomatoes - meanwhile, tip the canned tomatoes into a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes by hand – take your time and deal with one tomato at a time. Stir through the chilli, sugar and pepper.800 g canned whole tomatoes¼ teaspoon chilli flakes2 teaspoons sugar⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add Tomatoes - add the crushed tomato mix to the bacon. Stir and use a flat-ended wooden spatula to deglaze the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer. You can keep the sauce simmering until you are ready to cook the pasta. A longer simmer will result in a thicker, more reduced sauce with an intensified flavour. Add more of the reserved pasta water at the end to get the consistency you want in the finished dish.
- Prepare Broccoli - separate the broccoli head from the stalk. Thinly slice the stalk into rounds. You can cut any larger rounds in half to make them bite sized. Break the head of the broccoli into large florets and thinly slice them up through the stem to make tree shapes. Don’t worry if some break and crumble – you can include it all.200 g broccoli
- Cook Pasta - once the water comes to a boil, tip in the rigatoni and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Move on to the next step straight away.320 g rigatoni pasta
- Cook Broccoli - add the broccoli florets and stems to the sauce. Stir through, covering the broccoli with the sauce. Keeping the lid off, cook the broccoli until it’s softened but still has a slight ‘bite’. If you need to hurry it along a bit to match the pasta cooking time, pop a lid on for a few minutes.
- Parmesan – grate using the smallest holes of a box grater and transfer to a small bowl.40 g parmesan
- Reserve Pasta Water - just before draining the pasta, scoop out about a cup’s-worth of water. Try to get as much of the starchy froth floating on the top as you can.
- Finish Dish - drain the pasta and return it to the empty pasta pot. Pour over all the sauce and stir through thoroughly but gently. Add as much extra of the reserved pasta water to get the sauce to the desired consistency. Share among bowls sprinkled with the grated parmesan.
Notes
Make Ahead
This sauce can come together in the time it takes to bring the pasta water to the boil and cook the pasta. But; if you’re keen to make it in advance, prepare the tomato sauce up to (and including) step 4 'Add Tomatoes'). A longer simmer time will intensify its flavour. You can add the broccoli when you cook the pasta. If the sauce becomes too reduced, you can add a touch more of the reserved pasta water to loosen it later.
You can store the sauce for a few days in the fridge, or up to three months in the freezer (defrost before using). Heat up the sauce before proceeding from step 5 'Prepare Broccoli'.
Leftovers
Whilst this dish is at its best made fresh, it reheats fine in the microwave. I recommend stirring through a touch of water to loosen the sauce a bit. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a fresh smattering of grated parmesan to freshen up.