Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

This is another recipe that I had bookmarked from one of my Costco cookbooks. I love my Costco cookbooks. It has so many easy and yummy recipes in them. And the cookbooks were FREE! Costco usually gives these cookbooks out every year after Thanksgiving (aka "Black Friday"). So whenever I can't find a way to get to my local Costco on Black Fridays, I usually ask people to pick one up for me whenever they make a visit. This recipe was developed by Mario Batali of the Food Network fame, and it came from last year's edition, which my boss was kind enough to pick up for me. Thanks chief!

This dish was really easy to make and quite delicious. Its almost restaurant quality. Hubby and daughter really liked this. I'm definitely making this regularly.

1 lb. spaghetti or linguine pasta (be sure to reserve 1/2 cup pasta water)

1/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

1 medium red onion, sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)

1/4 cup marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's Tomato & Basil Marinara)

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

salt to taste

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1) Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.

2) While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion. Stir frequently and cook until bacon is lightly browned and onion has softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in marinara sauce and season with salt to taste.

3) Add pasta and 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water to the bacon mixture and toss over medium heat until pasta is well coated. Continue adding pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve immediately and top with more parsley and Parmesan cheese.