Name: Rigatoni with Tomatoes, Bacon, and Fennel
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon , cut into ½-inch pieces; 1 onion , chopped fine; Salt and pepper; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 2 anchovy fillets , rinsed, patted dry, and minced; 2 teaspoons fennel seeds , lightly cracked; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained with juice reserved; 2½ cups chicken broth; 2 cups water , plus extra as needed; pound rigatoni; ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese , plus extra for serving; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Often, making even a simple pasta dish requires at least two large pots: one to boil the pasta, and another to make the sauce. The Dutch oven was essential here for its large capacity. We first rendered some chopped bacon, then removed the pieces to keep them crisp for serving and used the flavorful fat to soften some onion and garlic. A couple of minced anchovies—an umami powerhouse—dramatically amped up the savoriness of the sauce without lending any distinctive flavor. We found that adding diced tomatoes straight from the can gave the sauce a raw, metallic flavor because of the short cook time, so we opted to brown the tomatoes to deepen their flavor, reserving the juice to use as part of the pasta cooking liquid. A bit of broth and water made up the rest of the liquid; we added the pasta straight to the pot and used the absorption method to cook it to al dente perfection. The pasta absorbed tons of flavor from the sauce as it cooked, and in turn the pasta's starch nicely thickened the sauce. To finish, we simply stirred in some tangy, salty Pecorino Romano and fresh parsley. With a sprinkle of crisp bacon on top, our one-pot pasta was complete.

Before You Begin

You can substitute 1 pound of ziti or penne for the rigatoni, if desired.

Instructions

Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; set aside for serving. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pot.

Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, anchovies, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook until dry and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broth, water, and reserved tomato juice, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Stir in pasta, return to vigorous simmer, and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Off heat, stir in Pecorino and parsley and adjust sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, sprinkling individual portions with reserved bacon and extra Pecorino.