Pasta With Radicchio, Bacon and Pecans Recipe (2024)

What is the purpose of blanching the bacon before frying it?

What do you think of switching roast cauliflower for the pasta? My husband has decided to go no-carb. Yuck--but he has so many other fine qualities, he is still a keeper.

In the same world where NYT Cooking users complain that the pasta recipes have too much pasta and not enough sauce. I personally get about six servings per box of pasta: since a pound is 454 grams, I weigh out about 151 grams for each 2-person batch of most pasta dishes.

This is classic pasta combination( pancetta and radicchio) that was beautifully tweaked with the ricotta and pecans. I did not pre-blanch the lardons. After cooking my pancetta I removed the lardons and in the fat I sautéed a finely sliced shallot and 2 cloves of minced garlic which I included in making the final sauce. Delicious.

I've been using smoked paprika as a replacement for bacon with favorable results--Ali Slagle offers some guidance in her recipe for split-pea soup.

anyone with suggestions for a bacon replacement for the vegetarians out there?

Why do you reserve the pasta water? It doesn't way what you're supposed to do with it...?

Delicious—and it halved beautifully. One note: don’t use parchment to broil the radicchio. The heat is too high and it may burn. I’ve had that happen and it’s scary and a big mess.

Im going to use the field roast veggie bacon. It is fresh in the refrigerated area with all the vegan cheese and meat. It's pretty decent.

The pasta and ricotta will almost certainly be thicker than you want — using some of the reserved pasta-cooking water will give you the creamy consistency you’re looking for.

Add some at the end to loosen the ricotta mixture. It makes it more silky and less claggy

In the USofA world where we’re all overweight and pre-diabetic. I get 8 servings for each pasta pound and round out the meal with a salad and another vegetable. Plenty of food for all.

Blanching bacon is a classical technique to temper both the salt and the smoke. If using pancetta or guincale there is no smoke. Unless the bacon is super smoky (and esp if you use uncured bacon) I think this step is unnecessary - thus speeding up the recipe. Adjust salt accordingly.

why blanch the bacon first before browning?

Eggplant or large mushrooms?

I did a "single person's" version of this. The recipe is cut down, of course. But, I used my toaster oven to cook the radicchio. I put the setting at "Pizza/bagel" which only toasts one side and did it for about eight minutes. Also, I have Kirkland pre-cooked bacon which is already half cooked. So, I skipped the blanching and went straight to the skillet. I also skipped the cheese because I don't eat it. I loved the results. Radicchio is one of my favorite veggies. Penne was my pasta.

These ingredients combined are truly delicious. Thank you. But this recipe is ridiculous. Four pans plus a baking sheet. Really? Also, I’d never before fried blanched bacon in olive oil, and of course it spattered everywhere, but by then I was so bemused by the number of pans that I’d opened the wine, so I didn’t think to anticipate the spatter till it was too late. What a mess. Also, the bacon mostly drowned out my delicate radicchio (which wilted). Delicious but not worth the mess.

Excellent dish. Wonder what wines people paired with it? Suggestions I come up with range from Chenin Blanc or Verdicchio, all the way to Chianti, and Valpolicella Amarone. I would use the Chenin Blanc or Sancerre, but I live with red drinkers only.

I used unsmoked diced pancetta so skipped Step 2 and just did Step 6. It was all amazingly delicious just as otherwise written. Pecans perfect at the end, unexpected, and pecorino a plus compared to parm.

This is surprisingly good. I didn't have rosemary so used zatar and added a little aged soft cheese to the ricotta. I also added finely chopped yellow squash to the roasting pan but could add mushrooms or eggplant as someone suggested. The only pasta I had was angel hair pasta but that worked out well. I reduced bacon and did not blanch.

Delicious!I made my own ricotta, then followed this recipe, even blanched the bacon which I think made it crisp faster. The only deviation was I had parmesan, not pecorino.Used a mixed of whole wheat rotini and semolina orriechetti. The tastes and textures were just lovely.

I subbed lifeline veggie bacon and I think next time I would instead use some smoked mozzarella to get the smokey flavor. I am also not really a fan of charred radiccihio. Also, since I used Tardivo, there is no way that it isn't wilted by the time it chars. The pecans on top are awesome (I chopped them).

Unusual, but much enjoyed at dinner with the Isaacsons (2020).

My dish turned an odd shade of purple. Not appetizing at all.

Great dish. My comments:1. I couldn't find radicchio so I used kale. Even after broiling, the kale was still a bit tough, but still a great dish.2. Didn't blanch the onion, and sauteed a bit of onion with the bacon. 3. As usual with virtually any NYT pasta and vegetable recipe, we use about half the recommended amount of pasta with the same amount of vegetables. I'm cooking for 2 (with leftovers). If I was cooking for 6 I'd for sure double the amount of vegetables.

Easy and fabulous. Perfect for a weeknight!

Followed this as written. I did cut out the core of the head of radicchio like I would a cabbage. Maybe this might remove some lingering taint of bitter to more sensitive palates. We found the dish delightful.

This was impossibly bitter and flaccid, yet still bland somehow. Not recommended.

Wonderful ingredients that fight amongst themselves rather than meld together in the cooking. Like a marriage between beloved old friends that everyone else knows is going to end in divorce.

Skipped blanching bacon, put radicchio directly on a baking sheet without parchment, and didn’t have any pecans. Fast, delicious, and nothing caught on fire. Will make again adding nuts knowing it’s also great without.