Pasta with Bacon, Cheese, Lemon and Pine Nuts

Adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017712-pasta-with-bacon-cheese-lemon-and-pine-nuts

I made this.

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

Coarse salt, such as Maldon
1 large lemon
8 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut across into pieces about ¾-inch wide
1 pound pasta
4 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup pine nuts
⅓ cup chopped parsley, scallions or mint
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste


For the table:

Parmesan cheese

STEPS

1) Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Zest the lemon and cut the lemon in half.

2) Put bacon in a medium-size heavy pot and turn the heat on low. Cook, turning occasionally, until fat has rendered and bacon is chewy-crisp, about 10 minutes. Lift out bacon pieces and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm on top of the stove.

3) When the water boils, add pasta, stir well and cover. When the water comes back to the boil, uncover and stir again.

4) Put half the butter in a small saucepan and melt it over medium-low heat. When it foams, throw in the pine nuts and cook, shaking the pan, until they turn brown and toasty. Turn off heat and squeeze the lemon juice. Stir in the cooked bacon, greens and pepper flakes, and set aside.

5) As soon as the pasta is tender (it will cook a bit more later on), drain it, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Immediately return the pasta to the pan over low heat. Add remaining butter, a splash of cooking water and a pinch of salt, stir well, cover and let rest 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasonings as the pasta finishes cooking.

6) Add everything together with another splash of cooking water into the pasta, and toss to combine. Serve from the pot or in a serving bowl, with Parmesan cheese at the table.


NOTES

Dale reduced pasta and butter, 2026