All the flavors of the beloved BLT sandwich tossed with spaghetti or your favorite pasta = an easy weeknight (or anytime) meal the whole family will love.
BACON! and sweet ripe tomatoes…and crunchy lettuce. There is a reason the BLT is the 2nd most ordered sandwich in the USA (yep..Google nerd..I just looked that up)( if you’re wondering Ham and Cheese is #1). Combine all that goodness with some spaghetti…hello! ..HEAVEN!
The “lettuce” in this dish is actually spinach (because lettuce in a hot pasta dish might be a little weird). You could also use arugula (for a slightly peppery flavor) or baby kale as well.
Preparing this dish is really so simple.
1. Cook the pasta
2. While the pasta is cooking, cut/cook the tomatoes and cook the bacon ( or if you want to simplify even more, buy a few slices of cooked bacon / bacon pieces from the salad bar at your local Whole Foods or favorite market).
3. Toss it all together and top with Parmesan cheese
If you want to add a little heat you could add a few red pepper flakes. Want to give it extra “kid appeal” maybe a dollop of ranch dressing on the top. Keep it vegetarian , use veggie or tempeh bacon or fried shallots would also be a good substitution (fry chopped shallots in olive oil in a skillet until crispy and golden brown) . The possibilities to customize are endless.
recipe from Cooking Light (350 calorie Main Dishes pg 75)
BLT Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 package of spinach 6 oz. (or arugula or baby kale)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese grated or shaved (about ¼ cup)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
- Cut bacon strips into pieces using Kitchen Scissors. In a large non-stick skillet cook bacon until crispy. (alternatively, you can cook whole strips of bacon and crumble when cooked).Remove bacon from pan, and set aside on a paper towel lined plate .
- Retain a small amount of bacon drippings in pan, add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are tender (approx. 3-4 minutes) Add spinach and pasta to pan; cook until spinach begins to wilt (approx. 1 min.). Top with cooked bacon, fresh cracked pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Claudia @ HomeMade with love
Simple but delicious! Great idea to use sandwich ingredients for making a pasta dish.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
What a delicious pasta. Think this would make an awesome dinner for tonight - thanks for the recipe.