Bacon

Eat Your Peas & Carrots Quinoa Pasta (with Bacon!)

April  9, 2013
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 2 - 3
Author Notes

A box of quinoa spaghetti had lurked in the back of my cupboard for months. I think I was a little bit scared that it would taste terrible. Well, you know what would make even bad pasta taste good? Bacon.

The good news is, the quinoa spaghetti tasted great! Well, I should say it really just tasted exactly like regular spaghetti. Seriously, I couldn't even tell a difference. If I was serving a gluten-free dinner guest, I would make them this in a heartbeat.

This is the delicious bacon-y sauce (inspired by Bon Appetit's Creamy Pappardelle with Leeks and Bacon) I used to introduce myself to the world of quinoa spaghetti. I even added some peas and carrots in there so I could pretend it was healthy :)
foxeslovelemons

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 leek (white and light green part only), halved lengthwise then cut crosswise into thin slices
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemar
  • 8 ounces quinoa spaghetti or regular spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup frozen or fresh green peas
Directions
  1. In medium saucepot, cook bacon over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, leek, salt and pepper and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until carrots are softened, stirring occasionally. Add half-and-half and rosemary; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until sauce has thickened (should coat the back of a spoon); stirring occasionally. Remove from heat but keep in a warm place on the stove.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water as the box instructs for al dente. Drain the pasta, but save about 2 cups of the cooking water.
  3. Add Parmesan, peas, pasta and 1 cup of pasta cooking water to sauce. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce completely coats pasta and peas are warmed through. Add more pasta cooking water as needed.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

0 Reviews