Brown Butter and Bacon Pasta

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Makes 4 to 6 servings

I’m a beef man. But when Shannon came along with this dish, I became a fan. She now fixes it for me on my birthday, so that’s saying a lot. The browned butter has a warm nutty flavor, and when you pile on crispy crumbles of bacon, you can’t go wrong. Let’s just say this recipe is a keeper, and so is she!

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 stick butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1½ cups shredded Italian five-cheese blend

1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the spaghetti until tender. Drain and toss the pasta with a little olive oil or butter to prevent the noodles from sticking. Cover and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, brown the bacon in a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the heat. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble and set aside.

3. Cut the butter into equal pieces and brown in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. When it melts, it will begin to froth and bubble. When the bubbling stops, the butter will become light brown and have a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat.

4. Allow the butter to cool for 1 to 2 minutes and then whisk in the garlic. Pour the butter over the pasta and toss until combined. Toss in 1 cup of the cheese.

5. Evenly divide the pasta among four to six dishes. Drizzle each plate with any remaining butter at the bottom of the pan. Top each dish with the crumbled bacon and the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Tip: We like to use an Italian cheese blend, but we also use just grated Parmesan when that’s all we have on hand.