BLT Pasta variation

When you need an idea for a fairly quick meal and you don't want to go to a lot of trouble, give this one a try...

Start a pot or skillet of water boiling and cook spaghetti, angel hair pasta, bucatini, or what ever type of pasta you have on hand.

Slice and brown four or five slices of bacon, reserve. Pour off all but a couple Tbsp. of the bacon fat, but save in case you need more later. Soften a sliced leek in the fat, remove and reserve. Turn up the heat and add some of the reserved bacon fat, quickly sauté a bunch of whole grape tomatoes or deseeded chopped fresh tomatoes, sprinkle with a tsp. of sugar to help blister and caramalize the tomatoes. Deglaze when tomatoes are heated through but still firm with a bit of white wine, add a splash of chicken broth to create a sauce. Return cooked leeks and bacon to tomatoes. Add cooked pasta to pan and then a package of fresh baby spinach, stirring together to just wilt the spinach. Serve immediately and sprinkle a good amount of buttered fresh breadcrumbs on top of each serving.

I'm going to make a variation by using oven roasted tomatoes - halved and seeded cherry tomatoes or baby Roma's, coated with evoo and seasoned with s&p, baked until dehydrated.

Sounds really good to me, too, Beth. Thanks.

I think if you give it a try you'll be surprised at how tasty it is...

I had always thought spaghetti needed a runny tomato sauce until I started making a sauce with al dente vegetables and white wine and a bit of chicken broth...the spaghetti straight from the boiling water has enough starch to thicken it slightly. But the real kicker on the plate is the fresh buttery breadcrumbs. They still have some crunch and add a nice texture. I usually have stale ciabatta dinner rolls in the freezer I grate to make my breadcrumbs....butter and seasoned with s&p, Parmesan cheese, spices pulled out of the cabinet...whatever sounds good to you.