Bacon Spinach Pasta

Or what this should really be called: A heart attack with a little touch of "healthy" greens. So maybe combining bacon and pasta is a bit gluttonous, but whatever. As long as it's homemade, it's better for you, right? Hah! We made this for lunch one week and it was as fantastic when it first came off the stove, as it was three days later reheated in a microwave. The sauciness of the broth mixture is really what keeps this pasta good, in addition to the salty bacon and creamy spinach. We had this for lunch the week after enjoying the Veggie Enchilada Pasta and while both were fantastic, we got a little pasta-d out for our lunches after a couple weeks of these! Either way, this would make a fantastic dinner but it also does really well as a lunch pasta - it gives you something to look forward to in your lunchbox!

Cooking Notes: I used asiago cheese instead of parmesan, because it's what we had in the fridge. I also accidentally added 6 oz. of Spinach instead of measuring out 3-4 cups, which was still fine.

Bacon Spinach Pasta (serves 6; adapted from Budget Bytes)
6 oz. bacon
1 small onion
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb. pasta
6 oz. organic baby spinach (one bag at Trader Joe's)
1/3 cup grated asiago cheese

Cut the bacon across the strips into 1" sections. Saute in a large skillet until brown and crispy. While your bacon is cooking, dice the onion. When bacon is done, carefully pour off the fat into a bowl, leaving about 1 tbsp in the skillet. Add the onion to the skillet with the bacon (+ fat) and saute until soft and transparent. Allow the moisture of the onions to get some of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add 2 cups of chicken broth to the skillet, scraping up any remaining brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the pasta, place the lid on top and let the skillet come to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the majority of the broth is absorbed. Make sure to stir the pasta every 5 minutes or so, ensuring to quickly replace the lid each time. When the pasta is done, there should be a little bit of saucy broth remaining in the bottom of the skillet. Add the spinach to the skillet and stir until it's wilted into the pasta. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the asiago cheese on top, stirring to combine. Enjoy!

Recipe: Budget Bytes: Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan