Tomatoes + Bacon = Nom, Nom, Nom

The herbs in our little balcony garden have taken off and we have rosemary that keeps getting taller and taller. Not wanting it to go to waste (or turn into a small tree), I went in search of a new recipe to use it in. Yes, yes we use it with white fish, but I wanted something else.

Enter Cook's Illustrated Fresh Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon. As it turns out, it uses very little fresh rosemary, but once I read the bacon part there was no turning back. This recipe is worth altering your meal plan to make, it was that tasty.

Makes enough for 4-6 servings depending on how much sauce you want/how hungry you are.

• 6 ounces bacon (6 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 3/4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Granulated sugar (I only need about a teaspoon)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about 3/4 cup) 

I think you could easily use canned tomatoes in a pinch, but since there are still local ones to be had at the market, I used romas I had on hand and did the old boiling water/water bath trick to get the skins off (I cored mine before dropping in the water). Ah kitchen tricks.

Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off bacon fat from pan and discard.

Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat pan, and add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes (I used a potato masher at the end of the time to really break them down a bit more). Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce with pasta and serve, sprinkling Parmesan and reserved bacon over individual bowls.

They recommend a tubular pasta, e.g. penne, but we had it with linguine and it was delicious. Oh, and the big shaved pieces of parm on top + bacon = awesomeness.  The little kick it has because of the red pepper flakes is what puts it over the top.