Yellow squash, bacon, basil, potato pasta recipe

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.23.2008

I can honestly say this is something new that I haven’t seen in a book (yet—watch, now someone will say they saw this online at FoodNetwork.com or something like that).

I took a couple recipes and combined them, and then modified them according to what I had in the pantry.

It turned out really good! The balsamic vinegar combined with the broth was a good compliment to the salty bacon and the starchy potatoes. And our yellow squash was from our co-op vegetable basket this week, and they were soooooo fresh and crisp and sweet!

And now I’m sharing it with you!

Yellow squash, bacon, basil, potato pasta

3-4 slices of bacon

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 red potatoes, diced (You could use any potatoes on hand, I think—I just happened to have the small red potatoes. If you have russet potatoes, which are a bit larger than red potatoes, use just one or two of them.)

1/4 to 1/3 pound dry penne pasta (actually, any of those short pasta shapes will do like fusilli, rigatoni, etc.)

1-1/2 to 2 pounds yellow squash, sliced (you could also substitute any type of squash in your garden/at the store, like summer squash or zucchini)

3/4 cup broth (I used chicken, but you can use beef or vegetable broth)

splash of balsamic vinegar

a handful of basil leaves, chopped (or if you have some other fresh herb on hand, use those—I think you could probably use thyme, rosemary, or sage and it would be good, too)

salt and pepper

1. Heat water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Add salt and a little oil to the water. Add the potatoes and pasta and cook according to pasta directions.

2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (I used a wok because mine is huge and I’m able to mix the sauce with the pasta in it). Sauté garlic and bacon for 3-4 minutes.

3. Toss in the squash and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the broth and simmer for about 8 minutes, until the squash is tender.

4. Add the splash of balsamic vinegar and stir. Be careful not to add too much, because you can always add more if it’s not enough.

5. Meanwhile, drain the pasta and potatoes. Add it to the pasta sauce and mix well.

6. Add the basil leaves and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Serve immediately with some grated parmesan cheese (I thought this cut through the balsamic vinegar really well).

Aside from the bacon, this is a really healthy dish, and even the bacon is not too bad because you don’t use too much. Captain Caffeine said the bacon really added to the dish because the saltiness complimented the pasta and potatoes.

If you try this, tell me what you think!