An everyday pasta dish with a tomato bacon sauce and a twist for extra creaminess!
Well, I was going through my recipes the other day and I realized that I hadn’t posted a simple, everyday, classic pasta recipe. I mean, there are one or two pasta recipes on the blog – like this super healthy mediterranean orzotto with vegetables and marinated cheese cubes – but I wanted something that used spaghetti!
This recipe has a lot of advantages. It is :
Fast
Very easy
Cheap
Tasty
And did I mention we’re talking about spaghetti and bacon???
Oh, and it’s full of lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant found mostly in red foods like tomatoes and watermelons. It is believed to have important health effects for the human body and its absorption is even greater when it’s cooked and combined with olive oil. Win win for us!
Going through the recipe you will notice that some corn flour is used. You won’t find that in traditional tomato sauce recipes. But you should use it if you want your sauce to be more creamy and glossy with a drool-worthy effect. Otherwise you can skip it.
Tip: top each plate with a tablespoon of greek yogurt for an even creamier result. And of course, lots of grated parmesan or crumbled feta cheese. Some chopped parsley won’t hurt either.
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 clove of garlic, crashed
- 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (or good quality canned ones)
- 4 strips bacon, diced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon tarragon (optional)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Greek yogurt, parmesan or feta cheese, chopped parsley for serving.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the stems.
- Grate them and discard the skins (they will be left on the grater’s surface)
- Cook bacon with olive oil on medium heat until crispy.
- Add onion and cook until translucent.
- Add garlic and stir for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, paprika, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Mix cornstarch with cold water and add one tablespoon in the sauce. Stir well and simmer for 1 minute. If you want the sauce thicker add the rest of the mixture and simmer for another minute. Turn off the heat.
- Cook spaghetti according to packaging, but one minute less. Drain, leaving just a bit of water. Return to heat, and add the tomato sauce. Simmer for one more minute, stirring all the time.
- Serve with some greek yogurt, parmesan and parsley.
- Eat.
I love dishing out spaghetti on weeknights. the kids and I love simple meals and this one looks like one I can make easily.