Creamy BLT Pasta (Rachael Ray)

My husband mmmmmm'd his way through this recipe, so I had to add it to my cookbook, with slight modifications.
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Serves:
- Units:
3
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ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 5 -6 slices good quality bacon, sliced across into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 3 medium leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- black pepper
- 1 round tablespoon tomato paste
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
- 4 tomatoes, skinned, seeds removed and diced
- 1 (5 1/2 ounce) package boursin cheese combined with 3 tablespoons minced mixed herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley
- parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once at a full rolling boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
- In medium sized saute pan, fry the bacon until almost crisp.
- Drain and set aside.
- In the remaining bacon drippings, add leeks and garlic and season with pepper. Stir a few minutes to soften then add tomato paste and stir a minute more; add wine and reduce by half. Add tomatoes and heat through.
- Stir in the cheese, reduce heat to low and cook until melted.
- Reserve about 1/2 cup starchy cooking liquid just before draining pasta, then drain, return to the pot and add sauce to the pasta.
- Add the bacon in and toss, using starchy water to combine. Adjust the seasoning of pasta to taste, serve in shallow bowls topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.
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RECIPE MADE WITH LOVE BY
@Lori Mama
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@Lori Mama
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"My husband mmmmmm'd his way through this recipe, so I had to add it to my cookbook, with slight modifications."
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We liked this, but i twas a tad dry. In re-reading the recipe I found I had forgotten to add the pasta water, duh! I added some cream and it was much better. Also, I had no white wine, so I used vodka. My herbs were sage, parsley and thyme. (no rosemary, sorry, Simon and Garfunkel!) Thanks for posting, made for Everyday's a Holiday, 2013Reply
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This was a great new way to serve pasta and mix things up a bit! I think the key to this recipe is using a thick, meaty bacon, which I was lucky to have on hand. I am a big leek fan, but I would definitely stress to use only the white parts. Rather than use fresh tomatoes, I added a 14.5 oz. can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes, which was ideal. The Boursin that I used was flavored with shallots and chives, so I used chives and parsley as my mixed herbs. While the Boursin and canned tomatoes made the sauce creamy enough, I found I had to thin it a bit with some of the pasta water. I sprinkled parmesan cheese on my cooked penne, then added the sauce to the pasta. It made an easy, quick-to-fix Friday night dinner. Thanks for sharing.Reply
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