My husband makes a mean BLT sandwich. He has discovered the optimal ratio of bacon to lettuce to tomato and always toasts the bread perfectly. He makes these for me whenever we don’t have much going on in the refrigerator, and I love him for it. When I came across this recipe in Rachel Ray’s My Year in Meals cookbook, I knew I had to make it for him. I was thrilled tonight to hear him say, “This is great. We need to add it to the dinner rotation!” A huge win and there’s nothing like seeing a smile on that man’s face.
It has really great flavors and is super easy to make. I would recommend prepping all of your ingredients first and from there it’s just a matter of throwing it all together. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 6 slices of bacon, cut into half-inch dice
- ¾ cups panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups dry of whole wheat bow tie pasta
- 2 cups arugula, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup basil leaves, chopped
Directions:
- Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.
- Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.
Makes 2 servings. Love you MDE.
Heaven on a Plate 