Believe in Bacon

Bacon is definitely one of Price's favorite things! If he had it his way, he'd have bacon with every meal. (Am I right here, P?) But of course, in our healthy household, that is just not the case. However, we did stumble upon a great meal, courtesy of Rachael Ray, and it's definitely blog-worthy. This is a yet another great way to enjoy bacon!

Salt
1 pound whole-wheat cassarecci, rigatoni or penne pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 slices lean peppered bacon, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 cup chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
Black pepper
A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Shredded sharp white Cheddar, to pass at tableHeat water to boil for pasta, season with salt and cook pasta to al dente.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add bacon and crisp 4 to 5 minutes then add onions and garlic cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in stock then tomatoes and season with pepper to taste. Simmer sauce 15 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce and parsley. Serve with grated sharp white Cheddar.

To have along with this meal is a terrific slaw salad with fennel! If you haven't tried fennel, it's delicious, low-calorie, and very refreshing in the warmer months. It has a anisette flavor, but very light, so don't be afraid. I also like having it in tuna salad, in place of celery, and it's great in soups and stews. Try this slaw in place of your regular cookout coleslaw - it's a winner.

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound shredded slaw salad mix
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, reserve a handful of fronds
4 ribs celery from the heart, thinly sliced on an angle
10 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepperMix vinegar and sugar in the bottom of a bowl and whisk in oil. Add slaw to bowl. Chop fennel fronds and add to cabbage. Quarter the fennel bulb, cut away the core and thinly slice, add to cabbage. Add the celery and basil to the salad, toss to combine, season liberally with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Is it just me, or should Rachael Ray hire me as her PR rep? :-)