Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato... and Noodles!

BLT sandwiches were one of my favorite meals as a child. As an adult, I love, love, love noodles and just can't seem to get enough of them! (I guess that's the carb loading runner in me!) So today's meal is yummy!

My mom got a magazine called Cuisine at Home in the mail randomly and she got this recipe out of there and recommended it to me... It's delicious!

(Please note the creepy cat in the background wishing to get a little bit of this delicious dish)

Ingredients:

• Bacon (the recipe calls for two strips, I used over half of the package)
• 1 carton of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 thinly sliced leeks 
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• 4 ounces bucatini or spaghetti (I used spaghetti) 
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves (I just used a couple handfuls) 
• Dash and drizzle of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (the recipe calls for fresh, I used the spice) 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. 
2. Mince garlic for later use in the noodles. 
3. Cook the bacon for the pasta in a large nonstick skillet over medium (or in the oven at 400f for 25 minutes) 
4. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon (or tongs) to a paper-towel-lined plate. 
5. Pour out all but 1 Tablespoon of the drippings from the pan. 
6. Caramelize the tomatoes and sugar in the drippings over medium heat. 
7. Cook the tomatoes until they are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. 
8. Add the leeks and saute until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. 
9. Deglaze the skillet with the white wine. 
10. Simmer until the liquid in the pan is nearly evaporated. 
11. Add broth, vinegar, and pepper flakes. 
12. Simmer until liquid is reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. 
13. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. 
14. Add the spinach, thyme and cooked bacon to the tomato mix. 
15. Transfer cooked pasta to the skillet after draining the water. 
16. Toss to coat the pasta and season with salt. 
17. Enjoy! 

Jason's rating: 4 out of 5. He said there could be more bacon (surprise, surprise!). But the cats loved staring on! He raved about the little Caprese salad that I put on the side (it's his absolute favorite!)... 

For the Caprese salad: 1 carton of halved cherry tomatoes, small balls of fresh mozarella, basil, splash of vinegar, and splash of olive oil... Mix it around and boom!