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Is it a salad or is it a pasta dish? Yes. To be honest, it's really more of a pasta dish, but it does work very well as a pasta salad. And, what is a pasta salad if not a pasta dish served cold?
One thing I decided to try here was to use the rendered bacon fat where olive oil might be in a more traditional pasta salad. I never enjoy a salad that's dressed with too much oil, and I was sure that too much bacon grease would have been downright unpleasant. But, the amount used is minimal, and it really works here.
This salad can be made from just about any pasta, but I used one I haven't tried (or even heard of) before: corbata. When I saw it, I thought "oh...miniature farfalle". I saw the red-white-and-green (the Italian flag's colors) in the corner of the package, and I figured I was right. Then, I saw "product of Mexico" (which has the same colors), and I learned something I didn't know: there is such thing as Mexican pasta.
But, I was basically right the first time: corbata are mini bow ties, so they are basically mini farfalle. The small size allows it to blend effortlessly with the rest of the ingredients.
Finally, I decided to try something else here that had limited success: I added paprika to the water when I cooked the pasta. I knew it wouldn't turn them red, but I was hoping it would impart some flavor. It's subtle, but I think it did.
Ingredients
7 ounces (200 g) corbata pasta, uncooked
5 slices bacon, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
2 cups peas
1 3/4 tablespoons mild Hungarian paprika, divided
1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
salt as needed to taste
Directions
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon mild paprika and salt to taste.
2. Add pasta and boil until cooked to your liking.
3. Drain pasta, and allow to cool naturally to room temperature (don't rinse with cold water). NOTE: this is actually somewhat darker than another batch of pasta without paprika in the water. There is a nice flavor, however.
4. While pasta is cooling, render the fat from the bacon, and remove most of the fat from the pan (I always save it for use in some other preparation). Add slivered garlic and saute until browned somewhat.
5. Add peas and stir to coat.
6. Add pasta to the pan, stirring to coat.
7. Add remaining paprika to the pan, stirring until evenly distributed. Remove from pan and allow to cool somewhat. Refrigerate, and serve cold.
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