The Comfort Dish you NEED: Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
A few days before we made Pulled Whisky Bacon. This is what we did with the leftovers!
Things to know:
What is fusilli?
Fusilli is a versatile, corkscrew or spiral-shaped pasta made from durum wheat semolina. The name comes from fuso, the Italian word for spindle. Its tight twists trap thick sauces, chunky vegetables, and dressings, making it ideal for hot meals or cold salads.
Are fusilli and rotini the same?
While often used interchangeably and treated as identical corkscrew shapes in North American grocery stores, traditional fusilli and rotini feature subtle differences in their origin, shape, and manufacturing.
Shape and Structure
Fusilli: Traditionally shaped like a flat strand twisted into a loose, spring-like helix.
Rotini: Typically extruded into a tighter, shorter, and more compact screw shape
Origin and Production
Fusilli: Hails from southern Italy and historically was hand-rolled using a spinning rod or spindle (fuso).
Rotini: Considered an industrial, machine-extruded shape more commonly popularized in North America.
Cooking and Sauce Use
Fusilli: Wider gaps in the coils hold onto chunky vegetables and meat pieces.
Rotini: Tighter ridges work well for grabbing thinner sauces or holding up in cold pasta salads
What is pulled pork belly?
Pulled pork belly is a rich, succulent barbecue dish made by smoking a boneless pork belly low and slow at 250°F to 275°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 202°F–210°F, allowing the heavy fat to render before shredding the ultra-tender meat for sandwiches or tacos.
What is the difference between pulled pork belly and pulled bacon?
Pulled bacon is made from a pork belly that has been cured as if you were going to make bacon. We are especially proud of our recipe which utilized flavored whisky in the brine where you would normally use water.
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound of pulled bacon (see the episode here)
1 large diced sweet onion
2 T minced garlic
8 cups beef broth
28 ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes
2 cup milk
2 T mustard
32 ounces dry macaroni noodles (to look more sophisticated, we used fusilli noodles)
1 t pepper
2 T Spiceology’s Vampire Killer (or garlic powder)
1 T Spiceology’s Cowboy Butter
8 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
1/4 cup Dill Pickle Relish
1. Add ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the ground beef is no longer pink.
2. Stir in the onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Stir in the pulled bacon. You can substitute crumbled bacon.
3. Add broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, mustard, black pepper, Cowboy Butter seasoning and Vampire Killer.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Once at a boil, lower the heat to medium-low.
6. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Add the relish, cheese, and stir until melted and combined.
9. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
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