Guess what?! Breakfast today is last night's dinner left-over! Yum, yum...it's a quick homestead recipe I got from public access tv. Here it is:
Tomato and Bacon Pasta
5-6 slices bacon cut into 1" pieces
One clove garlic-minced (I had to substitute about 1/2 tsp dry garlic)
Four medium vine-ripe tomatoes-chopped (PLEASE pay the bit extra and get these if you don't have access to fresh from the field...otherwise your dinner will be a tasteless flop!)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Fresh mozzarella or parmesan to top
One scant teaspoon balsamic vinegar (my own modification to cut a bit of acid--I added it at the mid-point taste test of the sauce.)
Wide egg noodles (6 ounces) or thick pasta of choice
Yield: Three healthy sized portions
Total prep-to-serve time: 35-40 minutes
Put salted pasta water on to boil
Heat cast iron over medium heat while you're chopping bacon. When skillet is warm, fry bacon to barely crisp. Add garlic and cook until scent blooms....about 30 seconds or so. (Not too long or it will be bitter) Add coarsely chopped tomatoes and fresh ground black pepper, being sure to carefully scrape bottom of skillet to deglaze. Stir frequently. It cooks down to desired thickness while you finish the pasta.
By this time, pasta water was at a rolling boil. Added the pasta and cooked to al dente. Drain and serve immediately. Portion the sauce over the pasta. I topped with about 1ounce fresh mozzarella, use what you like. If available, garnish with fresh herbs-like basil or thyme.
This is approximately half-size of the original recipe as I was cooking for myself. It was soooo delicious that I ate it without any sides! It made 3 generous sized portions. I could have stretched it to four had I made a side salad of fresh greens, and served a bread.
I'd quite forgotten that fresh tomato is very delicious!!! I've gotten so used to store bought bulk or roma.....how sad. But I'd been out looking at heirloom plants for a garden--where I'd seen quite the variety of tomatoes! Remembered the recipe from tv, stopped at store, then...YUM, YUM!! Dinner and breakfast. LOL