In the Kitchen: One Pot Spinach Pasta

As the weather starts to warm up, my dinners begin to get easier & easier for two reasons.  First, I'd rather spend my long evenings sitting by the pool, not cooking away in the kitchen.  Second, turning on the oven in the summer makes me want to curl up into the fetal position.

The only perhaps difficult thing about this dish is that it calls for bacon.  Major cringe if you don't like your house smelling like bacon, but in all honesty, bacon usually smells pretty darn good.  I figured out a better way to cook an entire package of bacon at once.  While it still requires popping oil, it doesn't require two batches and it cooks up in half the time.  Sounds great, right?  Instead of laying each piece out flat in your frying pan, simply use kitchen shears to chop the raw bacon.  I did it in about 2 inch sections.  The bacon pieces will overlap, but don't worry about that.  As it gets warmed up, they will separate.  Simply use a wooden spoon to stir occasionally and thongs to remove from the pan.  If you're like me, you'll tackle this in the morning when you're still feeling fresh.

In the evening, you'll simply throw it all together.  I never measure on this recipe, so feel free to adjust accordingly to your families needs.  Here's what you'll need.

1 pkg of your favorite pasta -- I always buy mine from Costco, the shape doesn't matter much
1/4 C olive oil
1 bag spinach
1 pkg mushrooms
1 pkg bacon
1/2 C Parmesan cheese 
garlic
pinenuts

Begin with boiling water, then cook pasta.  Drain and leave pasta in colander.  Using the same pot, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom.  Then add garlic -- be generous!  Let brown for about 2 minutes, stirring.  Then add spinach and mushrooms.  Let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add pasta back into pot and stir together.  Add 1/4 C olive oil, cheese and bacon.  Stir and let warm together, about 3 minutes.  

Serve top with more parmesan cheese and pine nuts...enjoy!

If you make it be sure to tag me, I love seeing you creating your own version of family dinners.  If you not in the mood for pasta try some of my favorite tacos or our favorite summer salad!