Cruising World – May 2018

UNDERWAY

25

may 2018

cruisingworld.com

PASTA WITH BACON,

SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

AND CAPERS

(^1) / 2 pound spaghetti
(^1) / 4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
fi nely
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
in oil, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons capers (or
to taste)
Pinch dried chili fl akes
Pepper, to taste (optional)
Salt, to taste (optional)
(^1) / 2 cup Parmesan cheese,
grated
For added fl avor, use some oil
from the sun-dried tomato jar
Prep your ingredients. Boil water
in a large pot and add spaghetti.
While it cooks, place a large,
heavy saute pan on medium-high
heat. Add olive/sun-dried tomato
oil. When oil is heated, add onion
and saute until just translucent,
then add bacon and saute until it
just begins to brown. Add garlic
and saute for 30 seconds more.
Stir frequently, loosening stray
bits from the pan to prevent
burning. Add sun-dried tomatoes
and stir. If pan seems dry, add
a bit more oil. When pasta is
almost al dente, add capers and a
pinch of chili fl akes to the sauce;
saute for one to two minutes.
Using a ladle, carefully add^1 / 4 to
(^1) / 2 cup of pasta water to the sauce
to deglaze the pan and loosen
it slightly. Drain pasta and add
to the saute pan with the sauce.
Toss well to coat and mix ingredi-
ents. Add salt and pepper to taste,
if desired. Serve with freshly
grated Parmesan and chili fl akes
on the side, along with a good red
wine. Makes two servings.
DIFFICULTY: EASY
CAN BE MADE: AT ANCHOR
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES
LYNDA MORRIS CHILDRESS
SIMPLE, ELEGANT PASTA
Aboard Kate, our Newport 41, I only plan menus when we’re making
a passage, or if my partner, Steve, and I are having guests for dinner.
Daily meals are much more off the cuff. One recent evening, as the
sun was setting and stomachs were rumbling, I realized I didn’t even
have a vague idea what we’d have for dinner. This would defi nitely be a
quick-fi re challenge. § I grabbed a packet of spaghetti: easy, but a sauce
would require inspiration. I began by sauteing some onions in oil. As
the galley fi lled with that sweet, familiar aroma, I foraged for more in-
gredients. There were a few slices of bacon in the fridge; it would add
a smoky element to the sauce. Garlic, we had. Though we hadn’t seen
fresh tomatoes in months, I had a large jar of sun-dried tomatoes —
they’d do. To counterbalance the bacon, I decided to add the last of our
jar of salty capers, then to add a bit of zing with a few chili fl akes. I got
busy, and a short time later, plated it up and presented my creation. §
The quick-fi re-challenge creation was a winner! The fl avors of the in-
gredients complemented each other perfectly, and better yet, cleanup
was a snap. This simple but elegant pasta, so quick and easy, has turned
into one of our favorite go-to meals. —Heather Francis
Cook’s Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. You can us e any long pasta, such as angel hair or linguine,
large shells or even gnocchi (one of my favorites). Be cautious if you add salt to this dish — I don’t think
it needs additional salt because there’s plenty in the bacon, capers, and Parmesan, but it’s up to you! To
make this even easier, you can cook the spaghetti in advance, but be sure to reserve at least^1 / 2 cup of the
pasta water for your sauce. —H.F.
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