Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon

Yield: Makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta.
Time:

Pancetta can be substituted for the bacon. Any short tubular pasta is well suited to this sauce. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Ingredients

• 6 oz bacon (6 slices) cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 t)
• 1/2 t minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 – 3/4 t hot red pepper flakes
• 3 lbs ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3-3/4 c)
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 t table salt
• 1/8 t ground black pepper
• granulated sugar
• 2 oz parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about 3/4 c)

Directions

1. Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crips, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lines plate. Pour off bacon fat from pan and discard.
2. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat pan, and add garlic, rosemary and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Toss sauce with pasta and serve, sprinkling parmesan and reserved bacon over individual bowls.