EASY WEEKNIGHT BACON BROCCOLI PASTA.

Easy Weeknight Bacon Broccoli Pasta. image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 8

8 ounces pasta, cooked
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup freshly shaved/grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
lots of fresh cracked black pepper
extra virgin olive oil, if needed for drizzling

Steps:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions.While the water is boiling, heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it is browned, crispy and all the fat is rendered, then removed the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it on a paper towel to drain and excess grease.Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Stir in the garlic and the broccoli florets and cook, tossing occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and slightly soft. Add a lot of fresh cracked pepper and if you'd like, a tiny pinch of salt. I find that I usually don't need the salt because the bacon grease is salty!At this time, you can toss in the cooked pasta. Toss well to combine every and keep it over low heat. If it seems too dry, you can drizzle in the remaining bacon grease or you can just drizzle some olive oil on top and toss well. Add in the parmesan shavings and crushed red pepper. Toss well. Serve it!