Bacon and Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons lemon zest

⅔ cup creme fraiche OR sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 cups fusilli pasta

3 cups halved cherry tomatoes

4 cups baby arugula, coarsely chopped

kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

2  tablespoon freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, or to taste (Optional)

Directions

Pour olive oil into a heavy skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until almost crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat. Hold a paper towel with tongs and mop up excess bacon grease with the paper towel, leave about 2 teaspoons bacon grease in the skillet. Stir minced garlic and lemon zest into bacon in the skillet and let cook in residual heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir crème fraiche and mayonnaise into the bacon mixture. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and stir in pasta. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add pasta to the skillet. Stir pasta thoroughly into bacon and crème fraiche and mayonnaise mixture. Return skillet to medium heat. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Mix in arugula, stirring until wilted, about 30 seconds, and turn off heat. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir again and garnish with Parmesan cheese. 6 Servings.