Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan

Ingredients

• 6 oz bacon
• 1 small onion
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lb pasta
• 1/4 lb 3-4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Slice the bacon crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Sauté the bacon in a large skillet until it is browned and crisp; you do not need to add any fat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Carefully pour the rendered fat into a separate bowl, keeping about 1 tablespoon in the skillet.
2. As the bacon cooks, dice the onion. Once the bacon has been removed and the fat has been poured off, add the diced onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Let the onion’s moisture help lift some of the browned bits from the skillet.
3. Pour 2 cups of chicken broth into the skillet, scraping and stirring so any remaining bacon drippings on the bottom dissolve into the liquid.
4. Add the uncooked pasta, cover the skillet, and bring everything to a boil over high heat. When it boils, stir briefly, reduce the heat to low, and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Every few minutes, stir so the pasta loosens from the bottom, then put the lid back on right away. After 10 minutes, the pasta should be tender and nearly all of the broth should be absorbed. A small amount of thickened, saucy broth should still be left in the skillet.
5. Stir the fresh spinach into the skillet until it wilts into the pasta. Turn off the heat, return the cooked bacon to the skillet, scatter the Parmesan over the top, stir everything together, and serve.