Disclosure: This is my final post as a member of the Kraft Tastemakers Team. As always, all recipes and opinions remain my own. It’s been a fun year! Thank you, Kraft Foods.
Spring is an amazing time of renewal. When the snow starts to melt and buds start to peek out from the ends of branches I feel a surge of energy.
I tidy and organize my bookshelves. I clean my kitchen from top to bottom. I hang pillows out on the line to freshen up in the strengthening rays of the sun.
Would that this productivity could motivate me to win my years-long battle with the laundry monster lurking in my basement. Alas. Not even spring can help me there.
I am, however, feeling a little urge to get back into my blog archives and put them in order, too. Older posts of recipes that remain favourites that languish back in the early days of Foodie with Family, suffering from silly formatting, unappealing photos, and lack of printable versions of themselves are ripe for a make-over.
Today, I’m beginning that process. May I introduce you (or re-introduce you) to Bacon, Gorgonzola, Avocado, and Basil pasta? This recipe has been a well-loved friend since I first published it in 2010. It’s in the rotation of dishes I make for myself when my husband is on business trips. Why? It’s not that he dislikes it. He loves it. It’s just that when he’s gone, I feel the need to treat myself with comforting, fast, simple foods that I can make and eat off of for a couple of days. It hits all the right notes and nobody cares if my breath is a little odiferous.
If you’re so inclined, go look at the old recipe and old photos then come back and see my progress. I think we can agree there’s been a bit of improvement.
So, in honour of spring FINALLY being here and polishing up the world so it looks all new and pretty, I give you a lovely printable of a favourite archived recipe!
Avocado, Bacon, Bleu Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked small shaped pasta fusilli, farfalle, penne, wagon wheels, etc…
- 12 to 16 ounces thick sliced bacon Oscar Mayer bacon is a good choice, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
- 2 small cooking onions peeled, cut in half and sliced into half-moons
- 1 very ripe avocado peel and pit removed and discarded
- 1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves snipped or very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese Athenos bleu cheese is a good choice.
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the bacon strips to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir the bacon and cook until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Pour all but about 2 teaspoons out of the pan.
- Return the pan to the burner over medium heat and add the onions to the pan with a pinch of salt. Stirring frequently, cook until the onions are crisp tender (about 5 minutes) and golden in color. Transfer the onions to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the lemon juice over the two halves of avocado. Coarsely chop the avocado and add to the bowl with the onions. Stir to combine. Add the red wine vinegar, garlic, and all but 2 tablespoons each of the crispy bacon, snipped basil and the bleu cheese and stir well again.
- Bring a gallon of water to a full rolling boil in a large stockpot. Salt the water and pour in the pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the pasta water. Add the hot pasta to the avocado mixture. Stir in gently but thoroughly to distribute the sauce. If it is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to thin it. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and black pepper. Top the pasta with the reserved basil, bacon and bleu cheese and serve warm or room temperature.
Hippity hop on over to KraftRecipes.com to stock up on great Spring dessert ideas!
GIVEAWAY
Now… Let’s talk giveaway, shall we? In honour of our year long partnership, Kraft Foods has kindly offered to give a $100 gift card to one lucky FWF reader. Want to win? Enter using the widget below!
Claire Gallam says
Dreamy dreamy dream!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
Good for you! I have been meaning to start that process of making over my old fave blog recipes, but lack the ambition. This pasta looks amazing!
Shaina says
All my favorite things in one lovely dish.
marla says
LOVE this pasta!!
cheri says
Love the little bits of bacon here, and you can never go wrong with avocado. Great dish Rebecca!
[email protected] says
Woot Woot! Great giveaway and great recipe, yummo!
Nutmeg Nanny says
This is one tasty looking pasta! I will take a giant bowl please 🙂
sami says
OMG that is going on our dinner table tonight!
Angie says
Such a wonderful pasta! I love all your creations!
Nancy Long says
have some thick applewood bacon in the freezer and just put in a new basil plant – also always have blue cheese and avocado around
Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says
I fell more in love with this with every word. It looks phenomenal.
Daina says
(Psst….your recipe names blue cheese but in your description you called it gorgonzola).
Have you ever considered organizing your recipes into book form? I’d totally buy one. Then I could stop printing out your recipes and putting them in my recipe drawer!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
Thanks for the great giveaway!! This pasta dish has all my faves!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
I adore all of these salty creamy flavors!
foodwanderings says
Great pasta dish. Light and refreshing flavors. I never am creative when it comes to pasta. I should though. 🙂
Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled says
Rebecca, this bacon avocado blue cheese and basil pasta looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to make it for dinner this week! 🙂
Liz S says
looks like it would be awesome with feta instead of the blue cheese too….definitely going in the to-do book of recipes!!!!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Love the flavor combination here! Some of my favorite ingredients!
Paula-bell'alimento says
I just ate a bowl of pasta and now I want another ; )
Lora @cakeduchess says
I love to see different pasta combos and this is one I’ve never seen…the little bacon bits-oh, my!!
Maria | Pink Patisserie says
This pasta is so me! I’m suddenly starving! Gorgeousness!
Rie says
I have been meaning to try this recipe. Thanks for the reminder. It looked good in the old picture, but it looks positively divine it the new. I hope you look back at your old pictures with pride while you acknowledge your advanced skills in photography in the new.
Connie | URBAN BAKES says
Your pasta looks soo so good! Pinning!
Sandy Headtke says
Bacon, avocado and blue cheese, my favorite combination.
Thomas Murphy says
I want to make the Mesquite Chicken Breasts with Lime-Avocado Salsa
sharon George says
This is good; I used zoodles instead of past and added a few cherry tomatoes. Delicious; will make again.