Categories: Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. plus 3/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 10 oz. uncooked rigatoni
• 2 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. red or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 5 oz. watercress, coarsely chopped
• 1 oz. Pecorino Romano, grated

Directions

1. Bring a large saucepan filled with water and 1 tbsp. salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook 10 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

2. Place bacon and olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low; cook 8 minutes or until the bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan (do not wipe out pan).

3. Heat pan over medium. Add tomatoes, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes are tender and almost melt, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in half of the cooked bacon.

4. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pasta to pan; toss to coat. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid and watercress, stirring until watercress wilts. Add 1/4 cup reserved past cooking liquid to pan as needed to loosen sauce. Divide pasta mixture among 4 shallow bowls; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper. Top servings evenly with remaining half of bacon and cheese.

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