Ziti with Bacon and Greens

I love coming up with dishes that are based on using fresh, local produce, so I had to jump into this week’s #SundaySupper with its “Farmstand” theme. Over the past few years, I’ve participated in several community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, that basically brings the farmstand home every week with a box full of fresh local produce. Participating in a CSA stimulates creative use of vegetables, one thing that led me to publish my Collards & Kale Cookbook earlier this spring.

We had some bacon on hand I wanted to use up prior to vacation, so I figured cooking the bacon with some greens would be a good plan for this #SundaySupper recipe. I decided to go with nutrient-rich collard greens, which are readily available now at farmstands and farmer’s markets. I’d have to say the resulting recipe, Ziti with Bacon and Greens, was pretty tasty!

Greens cooked with bacon is a classic preparation. I find I don’t need a lot of bacon to add good flavor to the beans. For this recipe, I used a lean pork shoulder bacon, locally produced in New England. Two slices impart plenty of good taste to the dish. Cooking the bacon first in the pan that will be used to cook the greens is another trick for adding that bacon flavor using just a modest amount of it.

Once you get the basics down for prepping greens and cooking them with a bit of bacon, there’s a lot you can do with it! See my Bacon and Greens Dip for another example of this combination.

So the next time you see a big bunch of collard greens at the farmstand, don’t pass it by! Grab a bunch, pick up some bacon, and you have the makings of a tasty and simple pasta dish!

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Ziti with Bacon and Greens

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Collard greens cooked with a bit of bacon, then tossed with ziti for a tasty pasta dish.

• Author: Cooking Chat
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 2 slices bacon, preferably lean
• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus oil spray
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ colored bell pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch collard greens, thick stems removed and leaves chopped
• ¼ white wine
• ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
• 12 ozs ziti
• pinch red pepper flakes
• salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Spray a large skillet with oil, then heat on medium. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove bacon from pan, set on plate topped with paper towel to cool. Crumble into bite sized pieces when cool.
3. Drain the excess bacon grease from skillet, then heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the skillet on medium.
4. Add the onion, sauté in one tablespoon olive oil for about 5 minutes until the onion has begun to soften. Add the bell pepper, cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, let it cook for a minute, then stir in the collard greens. You will probably need to add them in a couple of batches, letting the greens begin to cook down to make room for more.
6. Stir in the cooking wine, red pepper flakes and salt to taste.
7. Lower heat to medium high, and simmer the greens covered for 20 minutes.
8. Cook the ziti according to package instructions as the greens cook.
9. Drain the ziti, and toss with the collard green mixture. Stir in the bacon and cheese, and serve.

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