Truffle Penne With Garlic Bacon

I was so enchanted with the penne dish I had at Sky 57 that I had always wanted to recreate this dish at home someday, and finally that day has arrived.

But alas, I did not have the luxury of Alaska smoked bacon nor white truffles, so had to make do with far modest ingredients for my own penne dish. Surprisingly, it turned out far better than I had hoped.

To begin, cook some penne pasta in a boiling pot of water and remember to run it under cold water once it has been cooked to stop the cooking process and preserve the al dente texture.

In another pan, put only a tiny amount of oil as there will be plenty of bacon fat to compensate. Chop lots of garlic and slice some back bacon into strips.

Make sure the pan is piping hot with the oil before putting in the garlic and bacon simultaneously. Keep tossing the mixture until the flavors of the bacon and garlic are evident.

Add it some wine and let it reduce until the alcohol burns up and is totally absorbed by the bacon and garlic. Once that happens, add it some water to give it some moisture.

Add a knob of butter and let it infused with the mixture. Next, add it in the penne pasta and toss aggressively until the pasta is well coated with the garlic and bacon mixture. Turn off the heat and throw in some grated Parmesan cheese to give it some body and texture.

Add in some pepper for seasoning. Plate the penne pasta and for that final truffle flavor, instead of using actual truffles, drizzle with some truffle oil over the top. Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley.

The resulting flavors will be intoxicating and this makes a lovely yet light pasta dish.