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Pasta with Melon, Bacon and Shredded Cheese

Penne with Cantaloupe, Bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Inspired by Giuliano Hazan
Course Entree
Cuisine Pasta
Author TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 slices bacon (I used peppered, but you do not need to)
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 T dry white wine
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 whole cantaloupe peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat (I used a deep-sided sauté pan, but it was 14 inches across--if you do not have one this large you will be better off with a Dutch oven type pot). Add the bacon and cook until crisp, moving around to prevent burning.
  2. Remove the bacon to a plate covered with a paper towel and let cool. When it is cool enough, crumble it and set aside.
  3. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and oil. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and the white wine. Scrape up the yummy bacon bits which have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook the onions, tossing occasionally, until they are golden and caramelizing, about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and continue to stir and cook, another 3 minutes.
  5. Add the tomatoes and chopped cantaloupe. Bring to a brisk simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the cantaloupe starts to break down. I used a potato masher to encourage the cantaloupe to break down into a sauce, because I did not want large chunks of cantaloupe. Allow for at least 25 minutes to cook the cantaloupe.
  6. Add the cream and 3/4 cup of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir it into the sauce. Let simmer for a minute or 2 to meld the flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve garnished with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the crumbled bacon. A parsley garnish looks great (which is why I used it) but we actually decided we preferred it without, so if you choose to use it, just sprinkle a little over the top.