Smoky Yogurt Pasta

Prepare a mise-en-place by finely dicing garlic and onion and assembling ingredients.

Put well-salted water on to boil.

Begin by frying bacon in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, until crisp. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

In the same pan, keep at least 2 tablespoons of the grease (if not more), and add diced onion. Cook until onions have sweated (a few minutes). Add garlic. Continue to sauté until fragrant (a minute more). Add a good amount of salt and pepper to taste.

Deglaze the pan with the wine. Allow to reduce by about half.

Add tomato paste. Add tomatoes. Stir to make a tomato sauce. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper.

Break up reserved crisp bacon into tiny peices and stir into sauce.

Cut the heat to medium low and stir in yogurt by the tablespoon until you’ve achieved desired consistency and color (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup). I look for a dark pink color and taste often to keep the smoky bacon flavor shining through.

Allow to simmer slowly while cooking pasta. For best results, don’t overcook those noodles! Al dente please!

When pasta is cooked, drain and toss lighly with good tasting olive oil. Stir noodles into the sauce to coat. Allow the two to marry. If sauce is too thick, lighten it with a bit of the pasta water.

Garnish each plate with freshly chopped flat leaf parsley and grated cheese.