This delectable Apple Cake has a slightly crunchy crust and a soft moist center that is loaded with chunks of sweet apple and pecans. It is perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg. It is lightly drizzled with an easy four ingredient caramel sauce. I make this cake several times each fall for bake sales, potlucks and family and friend get-togethers.

This easy ratatouille recipe is a classic summer French stew filled with vibrant, colourful and nutritious vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. It is a low-carb, gluten-free and vegan dish that can be made in one pan and served atop greens or grains, as a side to a main entrée, or all on its own.

Nov 22 2010

Bacon and Parmesan Pasta

Posted by Erica Lea in Step-by-Step Recipes

Bacon. Parmesan cheese. Cream cheese. Heavy cream. Oh yes. This stuff is good. This recipe, brought to us by Trish Boese, brings together some of the most enticing ingredients known to man into an easy, irresistible dish.

It was hard to keep my fork out of the pot before serving the pasta. Even my little brother, who dislikes bacon, loved it. Let me show you how it’s done:

Here’s what you’ll need: bacon (yes, a whole pound) crushed red pepper flakes, penne pasta (I used whole wheat), heavy cream, cream cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, and freshly ground black pepper.

Begin by frying the bacon. Sprinkle with the crushed red pepper flakes. When the bacon is cooked (I like mine just on this side of crispy), roughly chop and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt the water.

Add the pasta and cook until done (it took about 12 minutes for the whole wheat Penne to cook to al dente).

Meanwhile, place the cream cheese and cream in a small saucepan.

Heat over low until the cream cheese is melted. Whisk until smooth.

Remove from heat. Add the parmesan, eggs, and pepper. Whisk.

Drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Place pasta in a large bowl (or return to the pot). Immediately add the white sauce and toss. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Add the bacon and toss. Add a little pasta water, if needed, to loosen the sauce.

Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes: The flavors in this recipe were excellent and even improved the next day. Next time I will probably make more sauce. I didn’t serve the pasta immediately, so it soaked up quite a bit of the sauce. Also, I thought it could use a tad more salt.

Thank you, Trish, for sharing this delicious recipe.

Printable Recipe

Bacon and Parmesan Pasta

by Trish Boese on September 16, 2010 in Main Courses, Pasta

4.56 Mitt(s) 30 Rating(s) 30 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5

Description

A break from the standard tomato or creamy white sauce – ingredients can be added depending on what you have in the kitchen.

Ingredients

1 pound Bacon
¼ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 pound Rigatoni Or Penne Pasta
½ cups Heavy Cream
¼ cups Cream Cheese
¼ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 whole Eggs
¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

In a skillet, fry the bacon. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. When done, remove bacon until cool enough to handle and roughly chop.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done (according to package instructions).

Place cream and cream cheese in a small saucepan. Heat over low until cream cheese is melted, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the parmesan cheese, eggs, and pepper and whisk until blended.

Drain pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of hot water) and return to pot. Immediately add the white sauce and toss to coat. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Stir in the bacon, and add some reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.

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Erica Berge shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.