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    Home > Pasta Recipes > Fettuccine Mio Amore Recipe (Lincoln Highway Pasta)

    Fettuccine Mio Amore Recipe (Lincoln Highway Pasta)

    Published: Jul 19, 2022 · Modified: Oct 5, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Fettuccini mio amore recipe, pasta recipe from The Lincoln Highway.

    Fettuccine Mio Amore is an Italian pasta dish that highlights fettuccine noodles with bacon and onions to make a unique and exciting tomato pasta sauce. Rich and deep with flavor, this is a very special pasta entree.

    Fettuccini mio amore pasta in a white pasta bowl garnished with chives.

    Our book club read for July was Amor Towles latest novel The Lincoln Highway. And Fettuccine Mio Amore is the dish that the character Duchess makes for Emmett, Woolly, Billy, and Sally on their last night together. The recipe is a homage to Towles’ friend and a favorite of the Towles family.

    The recipe is featured on his website and here is Towles description of its origins.

    One of my best friends growing up was an Italian-American named Claudio, who lived in Milan. When we were boys in the 1970s and Claudio would come to New England for the summer, he would be horrified by the American insistence upon drowning all pasta in a thick red sauce. A household should serve pasta in twenty different ways, he would argue, and each preparation should highlight a few essential flavors through intensity rather than volume.

    Fettuccine Mio Amore is an absolutely decadent pasta dish where onions and bacon bring a unique magical twist. Easy enough for a weeknight meal, and elegant enough for entertaining.

    Let’s take a look.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Mise en place. Always gather ingredients before starting any recipe. It will save you time and organize your mind.

    Ingredients to make Fettuccini Amore (Lincoln Highway Pasta)
    • Bacon: Preferably good quality thick cut bacon. Applewood smoked brings a good flavor to this recipe.
    • Parmesan Cheese: Grated.
    • Onion: Sweet or Yellow
    • Tomato Sauce
    • Chicken Broth
    • Olive Oil
    • White Wine
    • Fettuccine Noodles
    • Dried Oregano
    • Red Pepper Flakes
    • Bay Leaf

    Subs and Swaps

    • Bacon: Next time I make this, I’d like to try this fettuccine with chopped pancetta. However, pancetta is cured and not smoked like bacon. So, I’ll be losing that smoky flavor.
    • Tomato Sauce: This recipe calls for using either tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.
    • White Wine: If you don’t have any white wine, just substitute the 3/4 cup with an additional 3/4 cup of chicken broth. So you’ll be using 1 1/4 cup total chicken broth.

    Step by Step Instructions

    Frying onions and bacon to make Pasta mio Amore.
    Fried bacon and onions to make Lincoln Highway Pasta.
    • Step 1: In a large fry pan, saute onions in olive oil until tender.
    • Step 2: Move onions aside, or remove them from the pan and cook bacon pieces until fat has rendered but not crispy.
    Adding spices and tomato sauce to onions and bacon for Lincoln Highway fettuccini recipe.
    Mixing fettuccini with tomato sauce to make fettuccini mio amore.
    • Step 3: Drain most of the bacon grease from the pan. Add spices and tomato sauce.
    • Step 4: Add the pasta and Parmesan to the pan and using tongs, toss to coat. Transfer to plates and top with more grated Parmesan Cheese.

    Tips For Success

    • Bacon Bits: Do not try to make this dish with purchased bacon bits. You need the bacon fat for that extra flavor that makes this pasta recipe so delicious. And purchase thick cut bacon. You’ll love that thicker texture when you dig into this meal.
    • Fresh Parmesan: Buy the best wedge of Parmesan style cheese that you can afford and grate the cheese yourself. Tubs of pre-grated parmesan will fall short in flavor and texture.
    • Red Pepper Flakes: This recipe calls for using 1 whole teaspoon red pepper flakes, which makes for a spicy pasta dish. Use 1/2 teaspoon for a milder experience.

    Pro Tip: Why is pasta water good for pasta sauce? Don’t throw all of that pasta cooking liquid down the drain, It’s liquid gold. It’s a must to add to any sauce for any pasta dish. It’s high in starch and this salty starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta while helping to thicken the sauce. It turns any pasta dish into a luxurious pasta dish.

    Fettuccine Mio Amore Recipe

    If you’ve read Amor Towles’ “The Lincoln Highway”, you most certainly were taken in by the description and pride taken by Dutchess when he prepared this recipe for his friends. And as a lover of almost any Italian dish, I knew I had to make this Northern Italian recipe.

    What does mio amore mean in Italian? My love.

    Who can resist a pasta with bacon recipe and combined with a simple red sauce. Fettuccine mio Amore is a recipe your family will fall in love with.

    Recipe for Lincoln Highway Fettuccini pasta recipe.

    Related Recipes

    • Italian Sausage Ricotta Pasta Sauce
    • Quicker Chicken Spaghetti Bolognese
    • Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Pasta Sauce With Cream
    • Pasta with Short Ribs, Capers and Rustic Marinara Sauce

    Looking for more pasta recipes? Don’t miss my Pasta Category. You’ll find lots of main course pasta recipe along with pasta salad recipes, like this popular Smoked Mozzarella Penne Pasta Salad.

    And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    Fettuccini mio amore pasta in a white pasta bowl garnished with chives.

    Fettuccine Mio Amore (Lincoln Highway Pasta)

    Fettucini Mio Amore is an Italian pasta dish that highlights fettuccine noodles with bacon and onions to make a unique and exciting tomato pasta sauce.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta Recipes
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 635kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 large onion peeled, halved and thin sliced
    • 1 pound Smoked bacon cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 3/4 cup dry white wine
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
    • 1/2 cup chicken broth
    • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grates
    • 8 ounces Fettucini noodles dry or fresh
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    Instructions

    • In a reasonably deep saucepan, cook the onions in the olive oil until soft and translucent, then set the onions aside. If your pan is large enough, move them to the side, or completely remove them from the pan.
    • In the same pan, fry the bacon with the bay leaf until the bacon has rendered it's fat, is brown but not crisp. 
    • Pour off most, but not all of the bacon fat. Add back the onions, the white wine, and let simmer for a few minutes.
    • In the meantime, cook the fettuccine noodles according to package directions. Once cooked, drain reserving about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water.
    • Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, oregano and pepper flakes, stir and let simmer another ten minutes. (Add a little more chicken broth, or better yet, some of the starchy pasta water, as necessary, if the sauce is drying out.)
    • Toss about 1/4 of the sauce with the fettuccine and parmesan, divide the pasta on the plates, then spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with more grated parmesan and serve.

    Notes

    Tips for Success
    • Bacon Bits: Do not try to make this dish with purchased bacon bits. You need the bacon fat for that extra flavor that makes this pasta recipe so delicious. And purchase thick cut bacon. You’ll love that thicker texture when you dig into this meal.
    • Fresh Parmesan: Buy the best wedge of Parmesan style cheese that you can afford and grate the cheese yourself. Tubs of pre-grated parmesan will fall short in flavor and texture.
    • Red Pepper Flakes: This recipe calls for using 1 whole teaspoon red pepper flakes, which makes for a spicy pasta dish. Use 1/2 teaspoon for a milder experience.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 635kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1419mg | Potassium: 781mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!


    Fettuccine Mio Amore … It’s Whats For Dinner

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dawn says

      February 18, 2023 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely the best. Easy to make.

      Reply
    2. Tara Knapp says

      August 31, 2022 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night–what an amazing dish! The smokiness of the bacon and the kick with the red pepper elevated this beyond my expectations. Everyone raved about it. Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Larry says

      July 20, 2022 at 11:30 am

      We’ve had pasta in Italy and Bev always complained about the lack of sauce on it as she wants hers beyond drowned – I can go with less but still more than we had in Italy. When mom made pasta and didn’t want to do meatballs, she would often make a bacon sauce and I always enjoyed it but not sure I’ve had it since leaving home. So this is a must try for me but I’ll likely make double the sauce so Bev can add all she desires.

      Reply
    4. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      July 20, 2022 at 8:30 am

      What a nice dish! Love bacon and tomato with pasta, and the bacon really shines in this dish. Really nice — thanks.

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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