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Fresh Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta)

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon

Ingredients

6 ounces bacon (6 slices), cut crosswise into ½-inch strips2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary ½ - ¾ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves ¼ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about ¾ cup)

Before You Begin

Pancetta can be substituted for the bacon. Any short tubular pasta is well suited to this sauce. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off bacon fat from pan and discard.
  2. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat pan, and add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce with pasta and serve, sprinkling Parmesan and reserved bacon over individual bowls.
Fresh Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta)

Ingredients

6 ounces bacon (6 slices), cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
½ - ¾ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about ¾ cup)

Ingredients

6 ounces bacon (6 slices), cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
½ - ¾ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about ¾ cup)

Ingredients

6 ounces bacon (6 slices), cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
½ - ¾ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about ¾ cup)

Why This Recipe Works

To capitalize on the full, robust flavor of great seasonal tomatoes, we found that any type of tomato tasted fine when skinned, seeded, chopped, and simmered in a skillet with garlic and olive oil—as long as it was ripe. But for suitable additions to finish our fresh tomato sauce recipes, we needed to look beyond the usual suspects like parsley and ricotta and find forceful flavors—potent herbs and spices (piney rosemary), cured meats (smoky bacon), and assertive cheeses (pungent feta), using them judiciously to keep the sauce in balance.

Before You Begin

Pancetta can be substituted for the bacon. Any short tubular pasta is well suited to this sauce. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off bacon fat from pan and discard.
  2. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat pan, and add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce with pasta and serve, sprinkling Parmesan and reserved bacon over individual bowls.

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Appears In

Magazine

September / October 2006

Key Equipment

Equipment

The Best Slotted Spoons

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