Kitchen Adventures 14.1

During the summer, I try to look for light dishes for dinner. Heavy dishes are delicious, but when it's literally 110 degrees outside, cranking up the oven and making a casserole just doesn't sound appetizing.

Occasionally these light recipes come in unexpected forms. Take spaghetti. Normally spaghetti has a rich marinara sauce and can sit heavy in the stomach. When I found this particular spaghetti recipe, I was excited to try it out. It makes this traditional favorite a light and summery dish. The bacon is a nice touch, too, thought it can be left off for a vegetarian version. When I made it my boyfriend was a little wary, but after tasting it he was converted. I even shared the recipe right after making it with someone who had an excess of basil.

This recipe is from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Summer Herb Spaghetti with Crumbled Bacon

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
8 slices thick-cut bacon
1 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves
3/4 c. fresh basil leaves
5 T. olive oil
5 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling, salt water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels when done. When cool enough to handle, crumble into large pieces.
3. While the pasta and bacon are cooking, puree 1/2 c up parsley, 1/2 cup basil, olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chives in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the herb oil, Parmesan cheese and reserved 1/2 cup pasta water to the pasta and toss. Chop the remaining 12 cup parsley and 1/4 cup basil and add to the pasta along with the crumbled bacon and remaining 2 tablespoon chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.