"For home cooks, the most useful recipe is the one that lets you feed many tastes with a single dish This one starts out small -- pasta with butter and cheese -- but can be expanded with pine nuts, lemon zest, brown butter, bacon and herbs into something satisfying This kind of "modular" meal, which everyone at the table can add to or subtract from, is a great family dinner solution..."
INGREDIENTS
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8 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut across into pieces about 3/4-inch wide
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1 to 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, in a small serving bowl
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About 1/3 cup chopped parsley, scallions or mint, in a small serving bowl
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Hot red pepper flakes, in a small serving bowl
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1 large lemon
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1 1/2 to 2 pounds pasta
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4 to 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 to 1 stick)
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1/3 cup pine nuts
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Coarse salt, such as Maldon