Imagine, salty, delicious bacon mixed with a fresh and juicy tomato straight from the garden, atop a big ol’ bed of pasta… well, guess what?! You don’t have to just dream about this tantalizing dish anymore, because it’s real! Yes, really! This Bacon Tomato Linguine is no figment of the imagination. Try this Italian-style, cheesy, and comforting dish for yourself and you’ll know after one bite how real it is. Bacon Tomato Linguine will definitely make today feel like a fairytale… and luckily, you can make that happen over and over again!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh linguine
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, plus more, to taste, for serving
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, plus more, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup fresh basil, torn
Directions
Step 1 –In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 2 –Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Step 3 –While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon slices in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they are crisp, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the tomatoes and the shallot to the bacon and cook until the tomatoes start to burst, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –Pour out the drippings from the skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons.
Step 6 –Whisk the eggs, the cheese, the lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of the pepper together in a medium bowl.
Step 7 –Slowly whisk 1 cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg mixture.
Step 8 –Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the pasta to the bacon mixture, and toss well.
Step 9 –Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pasta mixture and cook, while tossing, until a creamy sauce forms, about 1 minute.
Step 10 –Season the pasta mixture with the salt and add the remaining pasta water, as needed, to loosen it.
Step 11 –Stir the basil into the pasta.
Step 12 –Top each serving with the extra cheese and season with the pepper, to taste.
Step 13 –Serve.
