Fettuccine with Broccoli, Bacon and Lemon

Memo to self: Take pictures of the food you cook so as not to bore your readers to sleep. This photo courtesy of Epicurious.

Last night's dinner was a result of trying use up items in the fridge. I more or less followed the below Bon Appétit recipe and it was delicious! We will certainly make this again.

My notes: I only had regular bacon on hand, so I used that and crumbled it after it cooled and was crisp. I used less butter and olive oil than called for, and the excess was not missed. My lemon had already been stripped of its zest for an Easter Ricotta pie I made over the weekend, but we thought the juice imparted plenty of bright lemon flavor by itself.

Lemon Fettuccine with Broccoli and Pancetta "Croutons"
Bon Appétit | June 2008

by Rozanne Gold

4 servings
ingredients

4 ounces 1/4- to 1/3- inch-thick slices pancetta (Italian bacon) or thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch cubes
5 1/2 cups 1-inch broccoli florets (from 1 pound broccoli crowns)
9 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

preparation

Sauté pancetta in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels.

Cook broccoli in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to medium bowl. Add pasta to same boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add next 5 ingredients. Toss over low heat to coat. Add pancetta, broccoli, and cheese; toss to blend. Season pasta with pepper.