Pasta with Spinach, Chickpeas, and Bacon
To save a step or two, I drained the pasta and returned it to the cooking pot to keep warm. The sauce is then tossed right in with the pasta.
To save a step or two, I drained the pasta and returned it to the cooking pot to keep warm. The sauce is then tossed right in with the pasta.
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups rotini pasta cooked according to package directions and 1/4 cup pasta water r
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 pinch hot pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 handful fresh spinach
- parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Carbohydrate 62.512641875 g
- Cholesterol 110.32 mg
- Fat 21.506264375 g
- Fiber 0.0615500001683831 g
- Protein 17.622630625 g
- Saturated Fat 6.66692125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (163g)
- Sodium 417.958625 mg
- Sugar 62.4510918748316 g
- Trans Fat 2.938558125 g
- Calories 518 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large saucepan, cook bacon on medium-high heat til browned. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels to drain.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, pepper flakes and beans; cook for a few minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir in pasta water and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in spinach and remove from heat. Check for seasoning and adjust as desired.
- In pasta cooking pot, toss pasta with chickpea sauce.
- Serve pasta garnished with cheese.
While classic Roman pasta preparations lean heavily on cured pork fat emulsified strictly with hard cheeses and starchy water, this combination introduces legumes for a distinctly Mediterranean rustic texture. Standard Italian trattoria methods often rely exclusively on pasta water and fat to create an emulsion, yet incorporating whole beans introduces a creamy starch element when gently simmered. Rendering bacon slowly over medium-high heat ensures the fat renders completely before the lean solids burn, leaving an ideal flavorful foundation for aromatics. When garlic and red pepper flakes hit that warm rendered fat, they bloom instantly, releasing fat-soluble flavor compounds that infuse the entire pan.
Combining dry chickpeas from a can with fresh greens creates a noticeable textural contrast, though substituting soaked dried beans alters cooking times significantly by requiring up to two hours of simmering before they achieve tenderness. Preserved or canned legumes offer immediate convenience, but fresh spinach wilts down within seconds of hitting residual heat, retaining a bright green color and crisp iron notes that canned vegetables cannot replicate. Tossing the cooked rotini directly into the warm cooking pot alongside the chickpea sauce prevents the pasta from sticking while allowing those twisted ridges to capture every fragment of garlic and bacon.
Acid balances the heavy proteins, so incorporating two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice cuts through the richness of the pork fat and parmesan cheese without overpowering the dish. Utilizing a slotted spoon to drain the bacon guarantees crisp results on paper towels while leaving precisely enough rendered fat in the saucepan to sauté the minced garlic efficiently.
