Thursday, July 14, 2016

Creamy Pasta with Asparagus & Bacon

I went out to lunch with my dad the other day, after which we took a side trip to Aldi. Dad has been telling me for years about the low prices, but truth be told, I haven't been inside an Aldi store since the turn of the century (and isn't that a fun thing to say?!). I was surprised, when I got there, at the ample amount of fresh produce they had, and at shockingly low prices. I got two pounds of fresh strawberries to make a batch of Strawberry Margarita Jam at $.99/pound, a three-pack of jalapeños, a bag of avocados, a beautiful bunch of cilantro, and a large bag of the loveliest asparagus I think I have ever seen. Considering my cart was full and I carted out three bags of groceries, I wasn't expecting to get change back from my twenty.

I ended up with more asparagus than I expected, so had to dig through recipes, managing to unearth this one. I have no idea as to the source, but I made it for dinner last night and moaned at the deliciousness. This is restaurant quality stuff here. Plus, having done my prep work earlier in the day, including blanching the asparagus and cooking the pasta, it went together in minutes.
Creamy Pasta with Asparagus & Bacon

4 ounces bow tie pasta
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chicken soup base
2/3 cup heavy cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 thin spears asparagus, diagonally cut into 2" pieces, blanched
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, to garnish
Prepare bow tie pasta according to package directions.

In 9" skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for one minute.
Stir in Parmesan cheese and soup base until blended, and then slowly stir in heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is coated. Fold in asparagus. Sprinkle with bacon, pine nuts, parsley, and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

If you like this recipe, be sure to try Pappardelle with Leeks and Bacon (shown below) as well. It is SO GOOD!


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26 comments:

thepaintedapron.com said...

This is a dream recipe for me Pattie, definitely my favorite type of dinner! I like the way you used chicken soup base in your sauce, yum, and pine nuts, swoon! Your strawberry margarita jam sounds divine also, I'm off to check that out!

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

OMGoodness, this sounds SOOOO good! We love asparagus and pasta so this will appear at our table soon! I keep seeing commercials for Aldi but don't have any nearby. Truth be told I never heard of them til the ads started showing up on the TV! BTW, I am so very sorry to hear that your husband passed away. XO, Pinky

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

PS, I pinned this too!

sandy said...

oh this looks so good!! thanks for the recipe - sounds like a nice trip out.

Organized and Simplified said...

This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing at Merry Mondays.

sandy said...

I've shared your blog with my husband who is the main cook - he is here on his computer now looking at it. I pointed out this recipe and for sure we will try it.

Gardening Helen said...

Oh my this looks delicious!! Such cream goodness! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!

Mary said...

Pattie, I'm drooling over this creamy pasta wishing a had a big bowl for breakfast! Pinned to my Pastabilities board!

Ann said...

Thank-you so much!!! This is a wonderful recipe!! It is easy to pull together!!! I am so very grateful to have stumbled on this recipe.... I just joined the site..... Hugs and so much gratitude!!! :)

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I hope you enjoy it, Ann. Be sure to check out the recipe for Pappardelle with Leeks abs Bacon. It’s a new one, and I think it’s even easier than this one.

Unknown said...

Made this recipe for my family who aren't the biggest fans of asparagus or pasta and they absolutely adored it! It was an absolute hit. Only changes I made were using a mix of cheeses cause I was a little short on parm and adding some pre-cooked chicken. I will definitely keep this recipe under my belt! It was wonderful. Thank you for sharing it!

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed this, Capt. Cloud. Chicken sounds like a great addition, thank you for mentioning this.

The Plagued Parent said...

Hi! Is this recipe for two people?
Thanks! Hoping to make it this week. :)

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

It largely depends upon your appetites, but I would say that, yes, Plagued Parent, this recipe will serve two. Enjoy it, and let me know what you think!

Kelly Ann Barefoot said...

OMG...I made this tonight and it was incredible! I made a couple of changes to use up some leftovers. I added some BBQ chicken that I had leftover in the fridge and I also added cremini mushrooms and a little extra garlic. This recipe is to die for...so good! Definitely one that will be made again and again! Thanks so much for sharing...you made everyone here very happy ��

Tiphni said...

I made this tonight for dinner and it is so so good. I tripled everything so I would have enough for my family of 4, and now have lots leftover for lunch tomorrow. The only thing I didn't do was add the pine nuts, because I just don't like them. My two year old and husband both loved it as much as me. My four year old didn't like it because of the parsley, but he at least ate all his asparagus. Can't please them all. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks for posting it!

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I’m glad you enjoyed it. People who don’t like pinenuts may find that walnuts make a pleasant substitute. I use walnuts instead of pinenuts, for example, when I make pesto.

Unknown said...

Wowww, I really loved your pasta recipe. It's just delicious. Also, Read more here about delicious Penne Pasta

Unknown said...

This was delicious! I doubled the recipe and used angel hair pasta instead of bow tie as that was what I had on hand. I also omitted the nuts and butter, instead sauteeing the garlic in some of the bacon grease left in the pan. Normally my husband prefers more meat in a recipe, but he loved this and so did our hard to please teenager! This is on the menu for this week too.

Casa de Romo mama said...

Delicious! ! !!! I didn’t have bow ties so used Orzo, dried parsley flakes and Knorr chicken bouillon. I didn’t have pine nuts but want to try it with next time with them. Meal is Kid approved and went well with a ham steak on the side. I used a pinch of cayenne pepper on patents plates to add a bit of warmth to the dish.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I’m so glad that you liked it! I imagine it would be just as tasty with orzo. When it comes to pasta, there are always so many variations that can be made from the same recipe. It’s always fun, not to mention delicious, to experiment. Thanks for your comment.

Sandra Beaubien said...

Is it okay to make the sauce ahead and then reheat and add the pasta when ready to serve?

Sandra Beaubien

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

Sandra,

Any sauce containing heavy cream does not reheat easily, it tends to separate. I would not make this ahead of time. I would make it just before serving.

Hope this helps!

Pattie

Sandra Beaubien said...

This was so easy and delicious. I used broccoli instead of asparagus.

Unknown said...

Always a hit in our house amazing
Thanks so much

bekabercromby@gmail.com said...

This is a favorite in my house.