It’s really tempting to grab a paper towel and soak up a little bit of the bacon fat after you’ve cooked it, but leave it in the pan! There is no added oil in this recipe and the bacon fat is needed for cooking the garlic, softening the dried basil and imparting some delicious flavor. If you took out the bacon fat, you’d have to add an oil back to the pan, so we’re saving a step by cooking with the super flavorful grease that’s already there.