| 115 g | smoked bacon |
| 700 g | mixed tomatoes |
| 300 g | rigatoni |
| 4 tbsp | olive oil |
| 70 g | panko breadcrumbs |
| 120 ml | pasta water |
| 100 g | arugula |
| salt | |
| pepper | |
| Pecorino cheese (for serving) | |
| olive oil (for serving) |
Dice bacon and halve cherry tomatoes. Set a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Once the pot of water is boiling, season generously with salt, then add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving some pasta water.
Heat a large frying pan with half the olive oil over medium-high heat. Toast the panko until crunchy and brown. Remove panko from heat and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil and bacon to the same frying pan and cook until bacon is crisped up, approx. 5 min. Lower the heat to medium and add cherry tomatoes, tossing gently. Season with salt and pepper and let cook for approx. 5 min. more.
Add the pasta directly to the pan with the bacon and tomatoes, placing the pan over medium-high heat. Then add pasta water and toss together. Add arugula and keep tossing to form a glossy sauce. Serve immediately, topped with grated Pecorino romano cheese, toasted panko, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
