Friday, December 5, 2008

Penne with Pesto, Mascarpone, and Bacon

I cannot tell you how happy I am that it's Friday! I feel like this week was incredibly slow, but at the same time Friday arrived very quickly. Are you guys doing anything fun on your weekend? The next week or so I am trying to clear out my fridge and freezer. I mostly just cook for myself so if I make tons of food, I freeze it. Like this pesto from when I made pizzas last month. Yesterday's salad was the appetizer for this delicious and quick dinner, and I had enough leftovers for lunch. I loved the light creaminess that the mascarpone added and I felt that just the tablespoon of pesto was enough for the amount of pasta. I didn't want the dish to be drowning in sauce. I find that it is easier to cook the bacon and then chop it once it has cooled, but by all means, prepare it however you want. Or you could sub in sausage or tofu or whatever your heart desires. Alright, it's time to go get ready for work. Hopefully there won't be another strip club fire to make my two mile commute last two hours. Have a good one!



Penne with Pesto, Mascarpone, and Bacon
(Adapted from Carmen Cooks)

1/2 lb whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon pesto
1 teaspoon Mascarpone cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water just in case. Toss the pesto and mascarpone with the pasta. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too dry. Stir in the bacon. Serve hot.

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9 comments:

Erica said...

ow! I've only seen Mascarpone used in sweet recipes. This is great!

Reeni said...

That is a truly scrumptious dish. YUM! Hope your commute was better today!

Diana said...

Yum! I really need to try to make some homemade pesto... the stuff in the containers at the grocery store completey skeeves me out and it's pricey too! Does your recipe freeze well? I always worry that the basil will end up looking brown and icky, but from what I can tell from your photo, that didn't seem to happen with yours. Yay for fresh-looking pesto!

Esi said...

Erica, I think I have only ever tried mascarpone in sweet recipes so this was a good change.

Reeni, much better commute today, thanks!

Diana, this recipe freezes very well! I made this over a month ago and it still looked great and tasted great!

Anonymous said...

How quick and easy. Perfect for the midweek meal or dinner for one!

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Hello Esi. Thanks for stopping by. So glad you liked the cookies. I'm with you. The fewer the ingredients the better. Just like your Penne recipe. I love it. I'm a pasta lover and this one sounds quite delicious.

vanillasugarblog said...

Mmmm mascarpone! Good addition. I am, hopefully, baking and walking this weekend. I haven't walked for a couple days now and need to do so to chill the heck out. lol

Heather said...

ohhh. pesto and mascarpone?!?! music to my ears!

Anonymous said...

Everything taste better with bacon! Nice photo.