Saturday, January 29, 2011

Recipe: BLT Spaghetti

Boy am I glad I made that lasagna on Sunday - I barely had time to cook and exercise this whole week! On weeks like these I sure am glad my best friend is also a blogger so I can have her write a guest post. See below for the first Chicago Cuisine Critique contribution to Thrifty Healthy Foodie. I'm so excited to make this recipe!

Keep an eye out tomorrow and this week for several new blog posts from me, including the THF February Gym Mix!

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Good morning Thrifty Healthy Foodie readers! My name is Shari and I blog over at the Chicago Cuisine Critique, where I write about my own foodie adventures in and around The Windy City. While my blog mainly focuses on dining out and cooking from the comfort of my own home, I have expanded it to include much more. Definitely stop by and check it out, I’d love to hear from you!

Briel is one of my dearest friends, and I am so happy to be guest blogging over here today. Briel and I met in college, where we were first neighbors, and later on became roommates. We quickly became the best of friends, and I don’t know what I would do without her. Unfortunately, I am in Chicago and she is in NY, which does not allow for as many visits as we would like, but we do try and fit in a few every year.

Today I am here to share one of my recent recipe attempts with you.  I discovered this recipe on the Rachael Ray Show (who I am a big fan of) during her Top 10 downloaded recipes in 2010 episode. Anything with spaghetti and bacon together (Yum)..I just HAD to give it a try!


BLT Spaghetti (Adapted from Rachael Ray) Ingredients:
2 leeks
2 tbsp of EVOO
6 slices of bacon, cut into cubes (I used to turkey bacon)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
1 (28 oz) can of Italian tomatoes with puree
¼ cup of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ box of whole wheat spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (to top)
Dried basil (or fresh if you choose, to taste)

BLT Spaghetti Preparation:
1. Begin by taking your leeks and trimming off the tops and root ends of each leek. Cut them in half lengthwise, and slice thinly.

2. Fill a large bowl with water and wash the leeks. Separate each of the layers, and swish them around in the water.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for the pasta).

4. Place the EVOO in the bottom of a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and crisp.

5. Once the bacon becomes a bit crispy, add the leeks and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (or until softened). Season everything with ground black pepper to taste.

6. Add the tomatoes (and puree) into the skillet and mash up the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the parsley, and let it thicken over low heat (while the pasta continues to cook).

7. Once the pasta is finished cooking (or al-dente), strain the pasta, and toss into the sauce for a minute or to.
Serve and top with the Parmesan and dried basil, to taste.
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There is nothing better than a recipe that is quick, easy, fairly healthy (if you make a few small tweaks, as I did), and quite tasty. Enjoy! And..if you have not done so already, go on over to my blog and check it out.  I leave you with this adorable photo of me and bestie from our college days. Oh how I miss them, and her – Chicago and NY are just too far apart.

Until Next Dine!


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