Spaghetti with bacon, garlic, black pepper & sheep’s cheese

Spaghetti with bacon, garlic, black pepper & sheep’s cheese

Autumn

When my mum used to work in the evenings or was away for the night, my dad would make this, his favourite spaghetti dish, and one we all loved. Mum was not a fan; for some reason she hated garlic cooked in this way. It was one of very few culinary idiosyncrasies she had. Notes in a curry, whispers at the back of a bolognese or a suggestion in a soup would all be fine, and she cooked with garlic all the time, but it just didn’t work for her on this level, unabashed and at the forefront of a dish. We used to open the door to air the kitchen if she was due back. Garlic aside, I’d personally call this a spaghetti masterpiece and one of the easiest pasta recipes I know. Just go big on everything and I think you’ll agree.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 200g (7oz) spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 200g (7oz) streaky bacon rashers, cut into small pieces
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or chopped
  • 125g (4½oz) hard sheep’s cheese (such as pecorino), or Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving
  • knob of butter
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti, stirring once or twice, so it doesn’t begin to stick. Cook for 10–12 minutes, or until done to your liking.

Meanwhile, place a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, followed by the bacon. Sizzle the bacon for 4–5 minutes, or until all the little bits are beginning to crisp around the edges. Then, add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute, until the garlic is softened, but not coloured. Remove the pan from the heat while you drain the pasta.

Once you’ve done this, set the frying pan back on the heat and throw in the cooked spaghetti. Toss the pasta through the bacon, and all that lovely, garlicky fat. Now add the Parmesan and the butter, using a fork to tumble the cheese through it.

Fry the spaghetti and cheese for a few minutes, scraping and scratching at the sticky bits of cheese on the base of the pan with a wooden spatula or spoon. Add plenty of freshly ground back pepper at this point – I always say: when you think you’ve added enough, add some more. Then, give everything one last turn and serve at once onto warm plates.

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