Spaghetti with Escarole and Bacon

By BobD

Crisp bacon complements escarole so well that you may be tempted to sauté the greens in the bacon fat, but don't do it; the bacon will then overwhelm the greens completely. Use olive oil instead, which will bring all the flavors together.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1 head escarole (about 1 1/2 pounds), leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 3 quarts)
• 2/3 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon butter

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large deep frying pan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Pour off all the fat from the pan.

In the same pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes, and anchovy paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the escarole, a little at a time, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta; add it to the pan with the escarole. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the Parmesan, bacon, and butter.