Ingredients
1 lb. orecchiette
3 cloves garlic (more or less, to taste)
3 strips thick-sliced smoked bacon
1/2 cup fat-free half and half
1 lb. broccoli, trimmed and flowerettes cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. fresh sage chiffonade
1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Preparation
In pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; add the broccoli flowerettes to the cooking pasta three minutes before the pasta is done. While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, trim bacon of extra fat; slice horizontally in 1/4" widths. Saute bacon in medium pan over medium-low heat. When done, transfer with slotted spoon to paper toweling to drain. Reserve 2 tsp. rendered bacon grease in the pan. Peel garlic; remove central core. Roughly chop or smash under the blade of a chef’s knife. Saute in bacon grease for two minutes; add fat-free half and half. Simmer until thickened, slightly, about three to five minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli and return to the same pot. Add garlic-cream mixture, sage chiffonade, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir mixture gently until thickened and beginning to be absorbed by pasta. Continue to stir and add Parmigiano, to taste.
