Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus Recipe

By sklesley

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 8 bacon strips
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In the same pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon and set aside. Saute garlic in butter and oil for 1 minute. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Stir in mozzarella cheese until melted. Drain pasta; add to pan. Stir in the salt, asparagus, parsley and reserved bacon. Sprinkle with pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Yield: 8 servings.