After a whole string of meals cooked on the Big Green Egg, it was high time to take a break.  A half-dozen baby artichokes, some mushrooms, a few slices of smoked black pepper bacon–what to do with the odd bits lingering in the fridge?  I diced the bacon, frying it gently to render the fat, then sauteed roughly chopped mushrooms and trimmed, quartered artichokes, sliced garlic, and a sprinkling of flaked red pepper.  Tossed with fettucini and dotted with shaved parmesan, it made for a nice supper (gasp!) cooked indoors, without the aid of charcoal.

The combo was inspired by a pasta dish I learned from Diane Seed in Rome; her version calls for guanciale (not easy to find in my neck of the woods), slivered artichoke botttoms, dried peppers, and a tiny bit of parmesan.