Ingredients
Scale
- 340 g (12 ounces) dried rigatoni pasta
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion – finely chopped
- 250 g (8.8 oz) streaky bacon – cut into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes
- 3 large cloves of garlic – finely chopped
- 400 g (14 oz) tinned crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes – or to taste
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream
- 2 ½ cups baby spinach – firmly packed
- 1 cup pasta water – reserve before draining pasta
- sea salt and pepper – to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves – finely chopped
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt to the water.
- In a large, deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the bacon and chopped onion, cooking for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic.
- Incorporate the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and chili flakes, bringing the mixture to a simmer for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the rigatoni in the boiling water until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Add the cream and baby spinach to the sauce, stirring to wilt the spinach.
- Mix the drained pasta with the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with fresh basil and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
To prevent overcooking, keep an eye on the pasta and sauce timing.
This dish pairs well with a side salad or garlic bread for a complete meal.
Feel free to adjust spice levels by altering the chili flakes according to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.