Hot Bacon and Pasta Salad

By rickfanciullo

Ingredients

• 1 box (7.75 oz Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad classic salad mix
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup sliced onion
• 3 tablespns balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespn packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespn olive oil
• 1/4 teaspn Dijon mustard
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 pear, cut into bite size pieces
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Fill a 3 quart sauce pan 2/3 full of water and heat to a boil. Add pasta and gently boil uncovered for 12 minutes stirring occasionally and then drain. Rinse with cold water to cool and drain well
2. In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon and onion, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon and onion to a large bowl with slotted spoon, reserving bacon drippings.
3. In a large bowl, toss bacon and onion mixture, spinach, pear and dressing until mixed; stir in cooked pasta. Sprinkle cheese over top of salad. Serve warm.