Pasta with Bacon

I found this recipe in my April issue of food network magazine.  It was originally called "Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage", but we altered it a little (a lot).  We used shell pasta and we used bacon instead of the sausage.  It was awesome!!!!  The recipe below makes 6 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 ounces fresh chorizo or other spicy sausage, casings removed (we used 12 ounces bacon)
2 spring onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced, plus more for toppings
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, plus more for servings

Directions:
1.  Bring pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook as the label directs.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the spring onions and cook until softened, about 3 more minutes.  Add the garlic, mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom start to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften slightly, about 3 minutes.
2.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooling water, then drain the pasta.  Add the broth to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Stir in the pasta and cheese, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with more cheese and spring onions.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 9/10!!  (with bacon)

Nutrition: (with bacon instead of sausage)
430 calories
22g fat (8g saturated)
70mg cholesterol
700mg sodium
17g carbohydrates
2g fiber
2g sugar
23g protein