Bacon and Tomato Pasta

Bacon and Tomato sandwiches are classic--we have ours pan grilled in butter with a smear of Miracle Whip and salt. Here is the same flavor profile with a few key additions: rosemary, pine nuts and Romano cheese.

Bacon and Tomato Pasta
8 slices bacon
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
8 ounces pasta shells (I use whole grain)
Place a large sauce pan filled with 2 quarts of salted water on stove and bring to a boil. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Snip 1/2 inch pieces of bacon into hot skillet and cook until bacon is almost done, stirring frequently. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Reduce heat to medium and add in pine nuts. Continue cooking and stirring for about 1 minute. Add in rosemary and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, toss and turn off heat. Cook pasta to al dente (about 7 minutes for medium shells). Stir bacon tomato mixture into hot shells along with 1/4 cup cheese. Serve hot with additional cheese on top.

Hints: I like to take off most of the bacon fat but you can use more if you want. I just tilt the pan and spoon out the excess. The fresh rosemary is great but you could substitute dried or another herb. Larger tomatoes could be diced and used in place of the grape tomatoes. Yellow pear tomatoes are just fabulous in this dish. The tomatoes will warm up and just begin to release their moisture, tasting very fresh. No garlic or onion in this dish but you certainly could add them while cooking the bacon. A hit of red chili flakes would be a good addition. If you prefer Parmesan it will work as well as the Romano.

Pasta is one of my favorite go to meals. Simple ingredients can transform into something special when given an Italian twist. How did they get to be such good cooks? Fresh herbs and veggies are remarkable and bacon makes any meal tastier.