Penne with Garlicky Broccolini

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

This broccolini pasta dish is cooked in bacon grease with lots of fresh garlic and grated Parmesan cheese for a quick and flavorful weeknight meal.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
6 slices bacon
12 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound broccolini, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain.
2 Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Turn frequently to cook until browned and crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels, leaving drippings in the skillet.
3 Add 1/2 of the garlic to bacon drippings in the skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccolini and continue to cook and stir until broccolini is tender but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic; season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese. Crumble in bacon; toss again and serve.