A Penne for Your Thoughts

Penne pasta with bacon, mushrooms, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

PREP 20 MIN COOK 15 MIN SERVES 4

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (see sun-dried tomato tip below)
12 oz (340g) uncooked whole wheat or high-fiber white penne pasta (about 4 cups dry)
4 slices reduced-sodium bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch sections
2 tsp minced garlic
3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (any kind)
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup sliced red onion rings
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1. Pour 1 cup boiling water over sun-dried tomatoes and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain and chop. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook penne according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

3. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. (For alternative, see bacon tip below.) Do not discard bacon drippings. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add mushrooms, spinach, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for 5 to 6 minutes, until mushrooms and onions are tender.

4. Toss bacon-vegetable mixture with hot pasta until evenly distributed. Divide pasta between 4 serving dishes. Top each with freshly ground black pepper and 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

* Sun-dried tomato tip: Sun-dried tomatoes (which are actually dried in ovens) provide concentrated flavor and a chewy texture to enliven savory dishes. They're available dry or in oil and have the same nutritional value as fresh tomatoes. which means they're good for you! We prefer the dried version since they don't contain additional ingredients and can be stored in your pantry for months. Sun-dried tomatoes are easily softened by pouring boiling water over them and letting them soak for 15 to 30 minutes. Look for them in bags or plastic containers in the produce sections of your supermarket.

* Bacon tip: See http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/breakfastcookery/ht/bacon.htm for alternative (cleaner) Bacon baking. This is how I baked the bacon for this recipe and then poured everything into a frying pan on the stove top after they were ready; bacon dripping and bacon. I also baked the bacon in full strips and cut them once they were out of the oven.

Really good recipe!! I opted (from previous experience) to add the spinach to the skillet till after the onions, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and bacon were almost ready to go. I added the spinach in the last few minutes so that they cooked (more like steamed) because I like the spinach better this way. I was also a little surprised that there wasn't an actual dressing per-say, but the coating that covered everything was from the bacon dripping and spices which provided a great taste. Everyone enjoyed this recipe.

Meal shown with the Parmesan, pepper, and parsley toppings.

 PER SERVING (SERVES 4): CAL 462, FAT 10g (SAT FAT 3.7g), PROT 26g, CARBS 64g, FIB 13g, CHOL 24mg, SOD 534mg