Hortobágy-Style Baked Slambuc | With crispy cracklings and potatoes

Cut the smoked bacon into small cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion, and crush the garlic cloves. Peel, wash, and cut the potatoes into even, approx. 1.5–2 cm cubes. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional top and bottom heat).

In a deep oven-safe skillet or pot, render the fat from the diced smoked bacon over medium heat. If necessary, add a little lard, then fry the bacon cracklings until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the cracklings into a small bowl and set aside for final serving.

Pour the dry pasta into the hot fat remaining in the pan, and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until nicely golden brown and blistered. Be careful, as the pasta browns quickly and burns easily!