Bucatini

with Broccoli Rabe, Bacon, and Breadcrumbs

Makes 4 servings

Thanks to its hollow, straw-like shape, bucatini is the best of the long pastas for silky, emulsified sauces. Because this dish contains a bitter ingredient—broccoli rabe—I want to tame the bitterness with a bacon fat–enriched sauce, along with cooling bites of goat’s milk cheese.

Spicy Breadcrumbs

Makes 2 cups

• 8 ounces crustless stale bread (preferably whole-wheat sourdough)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the bread into coarse crumbs (you can also do this by pulsing the bread in a food processor). You should end up with about 2 cups crumbs.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until they’re golden brown and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and red pepper flakes and transfer to an airtight storage container. Stir in the lemon zest. The breadcrumbs can be stored for a day or two.

For Serving

• 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed
• 12 ounces bucatini
• 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch lardons
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ jalapeño chile, thinly sliced (with seeds)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced sage
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Spicy Breadcrumbs
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the broccoli rabe until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to cool. Cut the broccoli rabe into 1-inch pieces and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bucatini until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat, pouring off (and reserving) the fat occasionally, until the bacon is browned but still has some chew to it, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and broccoli rabe and cook until warmed through. Add a splash of pasta water and the herbs and toss well. Add the bucatini and reserved bacon and toss again. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan, stirring until the pasta is well coated in sauce. Divide the pasta among serving bowls and top with the breadcrumbs and crumbled goat cheese. Serve.

The Takeaway

Spicy breadcrumbs are one of my most-used crunchy toppings. We make ours with stale whole-wheat sourdough bread, which has a lovely nutty flavor, but you can make yours with any kind of rustic bread. Processed white or wheat bread won’t work very well, though; it’s too moist and doesn’t have the airy pockets that you’ll find in artisanal loaves. I like breadcrumbs on the coarser side, so if your bread is stale enough, you can easily grate in on the large holes of a box grater. If it’s too moist to grate, pulse bread cubes in a food processor until they’re the desired size. In a pinch, you can use panko.