Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Bacon and Onion

This simple yet tasty dish is one of my favorites when home alone. Its a variation of the basic Aglio Olio (which basically means garlic oil). It may look plain, but its deceptively tasty. This dish can be done in like 20 minutes or less.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Bacon and Onion

The salty bacon, combined with the sweetness of the onion and garlicy aroma meld together into a very enjoyable flavor for the dish.

Here's what I used to make enough for 2

180 grams spaghetti
2-4 chilli padi (bird's eye chillies) sliced
5-6 rashers of streaky bacon (about 150 grams) cut into smaller pieces
5 cloves of garlic - sliced
1 yellow onion - sliced
Handful of rocket leaves or parsley for garnish.
1/2 cup chicken stock (optional - use the water from cooking the pasta if stock is not available)


Steps:

1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt into the boiling water. Add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Set aside when cooked. Its a good idea to run the pasta through cold tap water, to stop the cooking process  if you are not frying and cooking pasta simultaneously. (Otherwise, its always best to toss the pasta in the pan when its right out of the pot)

2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan in heated up, add the cut up bacon and fry for about 3 mins.

3. Add in the onions and fry for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic, chillies with some olive oil and stir fry until garlic and onions are lightly browned and bacon is crispy.

4. De-glaze the pan with the chicken stock, pour the stock into the stir fry. Gently use a wooden spoon or spatula, very gently scrape the base of the pan. Let the liquid mop up all the brown goodness from the base of the pan, absorbing the flavor, forming a light sauce.

5. The liquid should start to boil/bubble. When the reduced by half, add the cooked pasta into the pan. Turn off the heat and mix well. You will notice that the pan will start drying up as the pasta absorbs the sauce.

6. Dish onto dinner plate, garnish and serve.

Hope you'll like this recipe. Do leave a comment!