BLT Pasta

This isn't your last minute, we have nothing else, and the kid will eat it pasta.  This is date night, must serve with wine, and brings the heat pasta.

Any dish involving bacon is good with Steven and any dish that requires me to open a bottle of wine is lovely to me.  There is only 1/4 of a cup of wine in the dish so there is a lot left in the bottle to sip on while you cook.

Its light for pasta dish and would be even better in the summer with home grown tomatoes. 

BLT Pasta

Adapted from Cuisine Magazine 

Serves 2

• dry fettuccine and/or spinach fettuccine
• 4 strips thick sliced bacon
• 1 cup french or whole wheat bread, cubed
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• 1 cup leeks, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 2 cups fresh spinach

Begin boiling a large pot of salted water; cook the pasta while the sauce is being made.

Saute bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, then place on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. When cool, chop bacon into 1 inch long pieces. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from skillet. (Can be done ahead of time)

Toast the bread cubes and garlic in the bacon fat over medium heat until golden (around four minutes) and season with salt. Remove from pan to paper towel-lined plate and set aside. (Can be done ahead of time). Wipe skillet and return to burner.

Saute leeks in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until soften (about 2 minutes). Add tomatoes and pepper flakes and cook until the tomatoes soften (about 3 minutes). Stir in wine, broth, and vinegar. Simmer until reduced by 1/3 (about 4 minutes). Add spinach and cooked bacon stirring until the spinach is wilted. 

Divide pasta between 2 bowls, spoon sauce on top, and sprinkle with toasted bread cubes. 

Next time: I need to use homegrown tomatoes and cook the bread crumbs on higher heat with less oil so they get more crisp. Make extra bacon and pasta for HW.