50 minutes
A delightful pasta dish featuring orecchiette with a creamy fennel sauce and crispy bacon, perfect for springtime.
0 oz
Spring Onions, trimmed, white and green parts divided and thinly sliced
0 lb
Fennel Bulb, cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
0 lb
cups
to taste
teaspoons
cups
Dried Orecchiette Pasta
0 lb
Black Pepper, freshly ground
to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
cups
1. Cook the Bacon
Place the bacon slices in a large, straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Let them cook slowly, turning occasionally, until they are crispy and golden brown, which should take about 8-10 minutes. Once done, transfer the bacon to a cutting board and cut it into 3/4-inch pieces, setting them aside for later. Keep the bacon fat in the pan.
2. Cook the Vegetables
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the white and light green parts of the spring onions and the sliced fennel to the pan. Stir them frequently, allowing the vegetables to soften and get slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and a pinch of kosher salt to help them cook down. After the initial 5 minutes, sprinkle in 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda. Continue cooking for another 8 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and almost breaking down.
3. Add Remaining Spring Onions and Cream
Add the remaining green parts of the spring onions to the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes until they are well-incorporated and beginning to soften. Pour in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for about 2 minutes until the cream has thickened slightly.
4. Blend the Sauce
Transfer the creamy vegetable mixture to a blender and blend on high speed until it is smooth and emulsified, which should take about 1 minute. Season the sauce lightly with salt and return it to the pan, keeping it warm over low heat and stirring occasionally.
5. Cook the Pasta
While the sauce is warming, cook the orecchiette pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions, but make sure to cook it just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
6. Combine Everything
Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce, along with the reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water, the crispy bacon, and 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Increase the heat to high and stir rapidly. This vigorous stirring will help the sauce thicken and cling beautifully to the pasta, ensuring every bite is well-coated. Season with freshly ground black pepper and taste to see if it needs more salt.
7. Serve
Serve the pasta in bowls, garnishing each with the reserved fennel fronds and passing extra Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table for anyone who wants a bit more cheese.
Swap bacon for flakes of smoked salmon, add fresh dill instead of the fennel, and use linguine. Incorporate lemon zest into the cream sauce for a fresh twist.
Substitute bacon with sautéed shrimp and add peas for the fennel. Use lemon zest and a bit of juice to brighten the cream sauce. Farfalle pasta can be a playful alternative to orecchiette.
Replace fennel with sliced mushrooms and bacon with prosciutto. Cook the mushrooms until golden and add a splash of white wine before adding cream.
Instead of bacon, try pancetta for a smoother, more subtle flavor, or go with chorizo for a Spanish twist with a bit of a kick. For a lighter option, smoked salmon or prosciutto can be excellent.
Keep the orecchiette but replace fennel with sautéed broccoli rabe and bacon with spicy Italian sausage. Add red pepper flakes to the cream sauce for heat.
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