Bowties with Smoked Almond Sauce, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomatoes

By cdboss

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound bowtie pasta
• 1/3 About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 12 slices good-quality smoky bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, trimmed (about 2 cups, loosely packed)
• A couple of generous handfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons smoked almonds (a generous handful)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes or multi-colored baby heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 head bibb or butter lettuce, leaves separated and torn

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from rachaelray.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and brown to crisp up; transfer to a plate to drain.
Place the parsley, cheese, almonds and garlic in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Pour in about 1/3 cup EVOO and process to form a thick pesto. Scrape into a large, shallow bowl with the tomatoes and onion; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water.
Add the pasta to the pesto mixture and toss with the lettuce and bacon.