Tomorrow I will be returning to the working world. I can’t believe that it has been over 8 years since I last walked into a school and walked to my own classroom. I never thought I would take off for that long. Where did the years go? Eight years is a long time in the “education world”. I have much to catch up on and many new things to learn. I hope with all my heart that I still have time to blog. I know I will make time to some extent….just not sure how much. Keep stopping by…don’t give up on me. I am sure after some adjustment time…I will be back to my regularly scheduled BLOGGING ways.
Now, I am going to share a recipe that my family may be sick of by the time this next year concludes (it is that easy and could easily suffer from recipe abuse…as in being made way too often). It is a recipe that I got from my sister-in-law, Jana. Her blog is Home on The Range and can be found on my sidebar. This is a recipe that you could alter or change to suit your family's needs. My family LOVES it and I usually make it at least once every two weeks.
Bacon Tomato Pasta
1 pkg. of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 large can of petite diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons minced or diced garlic (I use the garlic already prepared in a jar)
1 pkg. of fresh grated parmesan cheese (refrigerated cheese section)
1 box of mini pasta (penne, bow tie etc – or Jana just uses regular spaghetti)
Cook bacon and reserve 3-4 tablespoons of bacon grease. Let bacon cool and then crumble and set aside. Add bacon grease and garlic to skillet and very lightly saute for a couple of minutes. Careful not to burn the garlic. Add your can of diced tomatoes and let this mixture simmer. I usually do a taste test and add a little garlic salt if needed and a generous amount of black pepper (you could use the peppered bacon too) Cook your pasta until done – I always have to cook my pasta a few more minutes than the box suggests if I am using the shaped pasta. The mini pasta says that it will be done in 7 minutes and I cook mine 9-10. It is not mushy…just a little more tender than what they consider al dente.
Place your drained pasta in a large bowl and add your tomato sauce mixture, top with your parmesan cheese (I use almost the whole bag – but add according to your taste) and then add your crumbled bacon. Toss together and serve with garlic bread and salad. The leftovers are great too!
Thanks Jana for a wonderful recipe….even though it has done nothing for my weight loss goal!
P.S. If you are not baking your bacon...you must give it a try. I LOVE it. I just can't stand to fry bacon and suffer with a greasy stove and hot grease burns. You just line a cookie sheet with foil and bake at 350-400 for 30-40 minutes. I sometimes need to drain off a little grease and flip the bacon. Remember that when you get it good and done and you drain it on a paper towel...it should get crispy.
