Bacon and Tomato Pasta

A relatively simple dish, related in essence to a pasta dish which apparently is a favourite of Sophia Loren. 

Some thickly cut cooking bacon cut into 1 inch long strips, stir fried in olive oil along with sliced Spanish onion, and sliced red and green pepper (half a pepper each). Once most of the moisture from the onion, peppers and bacon has evaporated, add a 400g tin of coarsely chopped tomatoes. Stir together, with a little boiling water, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the bacon is tender. 

Slice 75g of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese into thin squares, and stir in to the pan. Add black pepper to taste. Shred a dozen fresh basil leaves and add to the contents of the pan. Stir. Cover the pan and simmer for another ten minutes or so. 

During the final simmer, prepare wheat free penne pasta in boiling salted water. This usually takes around nine minutes. 

Add four wooden spoonfuls of the bacon and tomato salsa to a pasta serving bowl, and drop the drained pasta on top with a slatted spoon. Mix the pasta into the bacon and tomato salsa with a dessert spoon, and garnish with a sprig of Basil. Extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese can be added according to taste.

A slightly different version of this dish without peppers and onion can be found here.  

Add the tomatoes to the saute pan.

Bacon and Tomato Pasta