Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Pasta and Water
- 3500 ml water
- 25 g kosher salt
- 360 g campanelle pasta, dry
Bacon and Produce
- 200 g thick-cut smoked bacon, chilled
- 300 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Finishing and Sauce
- 120 g basil pesto
- 40 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
- 10 g fresh basil leaves, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 719 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbohydrates
- 75 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Zinc
- 2.6 mg
- Water
- 50 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place chilled thick-cut smoked bacon on a cutting board and slice crosswise with a chef's knife into 1 cm (0.4 inch) lardons.
Slice cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise on the cutting board and thinly slice the peeled garlic cloves.
Add 3500 ml water to a large stockpot, bring to a rapid boil over high heat, and stir in 25 g kosher salt.
Place the diced bacon in a large cold skillet, set over medium heat at approximately 165°C (330°F), and render the fat, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Drop 360 g campanelle pasta into the boiling water in the large stockpot, stir thoroughly with tongs to prevent sticking, and cook for 8 to 9 minutes until al dente.
Transfer the crispy bacon with tongs from the skillet to a small plate, leaving approximately 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of rendered bacon fat in the pan and discarding any excess.
Add halved cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, and 2 g cracked black pepper to the hot bacon fat in the skillet over medium-high heat at 175°C (350°F), sautéing undisturbed for 2 minutes, then tossing for 1 to 2 minutes until skins wrinkle and burst.
Submerge a heatproof measuring cup into the large stockpot to reserve 120 ml of starchy pasta water, then pour the campanelle pasta into a colander to drain.
Transfer the drained campanelle pasta and reserved crispy bacon into the skillet with the blistered tomatoes, pour in 60 ml of the reserved hot pasta water, and toss vigorously over low heat for 1 minute.
Remove the skillet completely from heat, wait 30 seconds for the pan to cool slightly, then add 120 g basil pesto and 30 g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, folding gently with a silicone spatula until evenly coated.
Divide the pasta evenly among 4 warm bowls, grate the remaining 10 g Parmigiano-Reggiano over each portion using a fine grater, and garnish with fresh torn basil leaves.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature management for basil pesto is crucial: basil contains volatile aromatic compounds such as linalool and eugenol that degrade rapidly above 65°C (149°F). Incorporating pesto off the heat protects both aromatic complexity and bright green color.
- Campanelle pasta, with its cone-like shape and frilled petal edges, acts as an ideal vehicle to trap tiny lardons, blistered tomato seeds, and pesto sauce.
- Starting bacon in a cold pan gives intramuscular collagen and fat ample time to break down, resulting in light, crisp lardons rather than tough, leathery bits.
- Amylose and amylopectin starches suspended in the reserved pasta cooking water serve as natural surfactants, seamlessly binding bacon fat, tomato acid, and pesto into a stable pan glaze.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight glass container within 2 hours of cooking. Chill promptly to 4°C (40°F) or below.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with 15 to 30 ml of water or chicken stock, stirring constantly until steaming hot and reaching an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F). Alternatively, microwave covered on medium power in 60-second intervals until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Pesto turns drab olive-brown and loses fresh herbal aroma
Cause: Pesto was added while the skillet was over active flame, scorching the delicate herbs and oxidizing chlorophyll
Fix: Cannot be fixed once oxidized, but folding in 15 ml of fresh extra virgin olive oil and torn fresh basil will restore fresh flavor
Prevention: Always take the skillet off the burner and let resting steam subside below 70°C (158°F) before folding in pesto
Pasta sauce feels oily or dry rather than cohesive and creamy
Cause: Insufficient starchy pasta water was incorporated, preventing proper emulsion between fats and solids
Fix: Splash in 30 to 45 ml of hot reserved pasta water off the heat and toss vigorously until a silky glaze reforms
Prevention: Reserve ample pasta water before draining and add in splashes while tossing
Bacon lardons are chewy and soggy rather than crisp
Cause: Heat was set too high immediately or the pan was crowded, steaming the bacon before its fat could render
Fix: Drain excess pooled moisture, raise the heat slightly, and sauté for 2 additional minutes until crispy
Prevention: Start the bacon lardons in a cold skillet over medium heat so fat liquefies and fries the meat gradually
Cultural Context
While classical Ligurian culinary tradition strictly serves pesto genovese alongside trofie, green beans, and boiled potatoes, contemporary Italian home cooking often marries vibrant green pesto with sweet late-summer nightshades and cured pork. Blistering cherry tomatoes in rendered bacon fat introduces a gentle balance of acidity and smokiness that cuts cleanly through the rich pine nuts and cheese of the pesto.
