Asparagus Bacon Pasta

Since I neglected Tasty Tuesday for so long, you get a 2fer today including a recipe!

I love pasta. It's quick, easy, can be healthy and there are an almost infinite ways to make it. One of my favorites is a quick toss with bacon and asparagus. This is also great with spinach or peas, but really you could pick any of your favorite veggies. Here's how to do it.

Asparagus & Bacon Pasta

Pasta - I used thin spaghetti, but you can use whatever you have on hand
Bacon, cut into little pieces, 1-2 slices per person
Asparagus, cut into 1" pieces, I like a lot!
Garlic or garlic powder, to taste
Lemon
Parmesan cheese, grated, handful
Red pepper flakes, just a pinch
Salt

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions

Cook bacon until almost crispy. Drain most of the fat and add asparagus and garlic. If your asparagus is really thick you will probably want to blanch them first - it's easy just add to the pasta pot about 2 minutes before pasta is set to be done

Add drained pasta to pan. Season to taste with lemon juice, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and salt. 

Eat! 

I love carbs so I like to serve my pasta with parmesan garlic bread. To make the bread, I just spread some butter on bread (any kind, but I like baguettes) and top with garlic powder and parmesan then stick in my toaster oven until golden.


Really, I'm embarrassed to even call that a recipe. It's more of a method that you could use with anything. Like I said I really like spinach or peas as well. It might also be good with something like tuna instead of bacon. Or left over chicken or ham. Oh and in the picture above, I topped my pasta with Onion Crunch. I'm kind of addicted to the stuff which is sort of like French's Fried Onions, but not exactly. It reminds me more of the fried shallots you can get at Asian markets. I bought a huge jar of Onion Crunch at Costco and add it to everything. So unhealthy lol.

Easter Candy Haul

Despite the image above, I really don't eat a lot of candy. Or even sweets in general. I've offered up boxes of year old Girl Scout cookies to friends who were shocked by my will power (or maybe horrified by old cookies). Put a basket of fries in front of me though and that's a different story.

For some reason these candies were just calling my name the other day while I perused the aisles of Target. I'm not a fan of Peeps but I do like chocolate covered marshmallows - these Milk Chocolate Covered Peeps are still yellow in the middle, although the shape is a little different. I was also intrigued by these Peepsters which come in milk or dark chocolate with marshmallow creme in the middle. I can't remember ever eating Marshmallow Fluff, but the creme inside these tasted almost like frosting. They were okay, but I feel like this bag might still be hanging around next year. Mini Cadbury Creme Eggs just make me think of childhood, or rather my junior high years. You see, when I was little I remember asking my mom about these Cadbury Creme Eggs and she told me that they had real eggs in the middle and that I didn't like eggs. It wasn't until junior high that I finally got up the courage to eat one and discovered it was a sugary creme that LOOKED like an egg inside. Well you'd better believe I made my mom go buy multiple cases of Cadbury Creme Eggs at Costco and I ate one at lunch every day. No wonder I got so fat. These mini eggs are much more reasonable for daily consumption with only 40 calories each! Finally, from Trader Joe's I picked up a bag of Bunny Gummy Tummies. I do really like my gummies and these have a tiny little bit of liquid inside like Gushers (remember those??).

Normally my cheap ass would wait until the day after Easter so I could buy them at 50% off, but the last few candy holidays (Halloween, Valentine's Day) my strategy backfired and there was nothing left!  This should be enough sugar to hold me over until the next holiday though. Wait... is there anything between Easter and Halloween?? Mother's Day?

Mardi Gras King Cake

Image from Wikipedia.com

Today brings us the first edition of Tasty Tuesday. And since it is Mardi Gras, what could be more appropriate than King Cake! I remember going to a Mardi Gras themed party several years back where they were serving King Cake. My first reaction was disgust because honestly, look at the monstrosity above - it just doesn't look very appetizing! King Cake is basically a ring shaped cake with multi-colored (usually yellow, purple and green) icing or sprinkles. The ones I've eaten tasted of cinnamon and cream cheese which gives it a flavor very similar to cinnamon rolls. 

The only reason I took a piece at the party in the first place was the chance to get the baby. Yes, a baby. See that little flesh colored, worm looking piece of plastic in the middle? It is a plastic baby that is inserted somewhere into the cake (not sure why he's hanging out in the center in the pic). If you get the baby you are the King (or Queen) of the party! Well, I didn't get the baby, but OMGz I fell in love with the cake. I went back for a second (and possibly third) piece of cake. No baby either time, but I had a new obsession - KING CAKE!! Unfortunately, I don't get to eat it every year, but I still have fond memories. I'd really love to visit New Orleans one day - talk about a foodie city! Beignets, muffalettas, po' boys, I'm drooling as I write this!