Garlic and Bacon Pasta

OK, I had every intention of following this Rachel Ray recipe I found (Garlic and Oil Spaghetti with Greens, at the end) but it kind of turned into one of those things where I went, "This seems like a good idea!" and just went with it. So now I give you what ended up as Garlic and Bacon Pasta (for a lack of a better name).

This doesn't really accurately depict the ingredients that I ended up using.
I did the normal thing with the noodles and once they were done I drained them (saving a little bit of the water for later) and let them sit. I bought some weird type of spinach at the Farmer's Market (hey, it was a dollar for a giant bunch, how could I go wrong?) but after I ate some I decided that it tasted funny (not to mention it was a bit old...whoops) so I nixed that idea. Instead I used some green onions and some basil (I have a ton in my potted plant). My mom taught me this handy tip for slicing leafy things thinly. Take a few leaves and roll 'em up and then they're super easy to slice really thin.
So I had my garlic (about seven cloves pressed through a garlic press), green onions and basil sliced thinly and then I added the god amongst food: bacon. The bacon idea was from the original intention of using spinach. You know those wilted spinach salads that have bacon in them? Well, I've never had one but bacon sounded like a good idea and honestly, bacon improves every dish.

I followed the recipe for a while, heating up the olive oil (in the pot I used to cook the noodles, not a skillet. I'm lazy and wanted one less pan to clean) and cooking the garlic. I think my pan was too hot because my garlic got brown and crunchy (and slightly bitter) really fast. I should have turned down the heat...you live, you learn.

After the garlic cooked, I added the green onions and then the bacon. God that bacon was enticing. I think I used five strips. I would have been happy with a million.

Then this is when I started adding stuff up the wahzoo. My thought process: The recipe says add some pasta water...OK! Hmm, I have some leftover wine...add that too! Parsley flakes in the cupboard? Why not! Ooh frozen peas, we'll just add a bit too...Parmesan cheese! That never hurt anyone!
It was also somewhere during this ingredient-happy fest that I decided to take a couple slices of french bread that was getting old and make some garlic bread. I just mixed up some butter (or in this case, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, as Demetri Martin says, I like to be incredulous with my food), garlic powder, parsley flakes and parmesan cheese. Spread that goodness on thick, wrap that baby in foil and stick it in a 350 degree oven for 10 or so minutes.
After that my mixture of bacon and other things cooked a bit, I took it off the heat and tossed in the pasta. And that was that.
Verdict? At first I was thinking it was alright, a little dry but pretty good. Then the bacon either hit the pleasure center of my brain or I was really hungry because then it started to taste better and I was wolfing it down and contemplated eating more. I decided against it as my breath was already pretty potent and the pasta was getting pretty heavy in my stomach. Do I recommend this crazy mess? It's not anything out of this world, but hey, it's garlic and bacon. Bacon...mmm...



Garlic and Oil Spaghetti with Greens

Salt and black pepper
1 lbs spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 anchovy fillets (optional)
6 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and shredded
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pinch nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.

In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Stir in the anchovies, if using, until melted. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the Swiss chard and crushed red pepper, cover and cook until wilted, 3 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with black pepper.

Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water into the chard mixture. Add the pasta and toss.