During these spring weeks, we have some form of asparagus on the table almost every night. I usually make this dish when I have leftover bacon (I know, that's almost an ironic statement) but if you want to make it from scratch, you can cook your bacon while your pasta is boiling. All in, this dish takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, but if you have the bacon on hand, it could be done in as little as 15! I sometimes make the bacon in the morning for a dinner meal while I am packing lunches and getting breakfast in the table. Nobody minds getting a little bacon treat with breakfast and it gets dinner on the table in a snap. Another bonus with this pasta is that it tastes great cold for a lunch dish or reheated the next day as a leftover. Just make sure you cook the pasta al dente, so it doesn't get mushy when reheated. It sounds simple but tastes delicious, make sure you give it a try.
Ingredients
250 gr dried penne
10 strips bacon
12 asparagus
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsps olive oil + 1 tbsp olive oil
5 small leaves sage or 1 tsp dried
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
If making bacon from scratch, cook your bacon until crispy. Break up into bite size pieces.
While bacon is cooking, heat water to boiling, add salt and cook pasta to al dente, 8-10 minutes. Pasta should be firm to bite but taste cooked not floury. Once cooked, drain.
Slice asparagus thinly, 1/2 inch slivers.
Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a frying pan until hot. Sauté asparagus, salt and pepper until cooked through and scorched a little, 4-6 minutes.
Thinly slice garlic and add to asparagus halfway through cooking. Mix thoroughly and don't let the garlic burn or it will be bitter.
Turn off heat. Add butter, pasta and sage. Mix throughly.
Finish with extra olive oil and serve immediately.
RELATED: 11 To-Die-For Pasta Recipes To Make Tonight
Printer-friendly version