Farfalle with Bacon, Roasted Tomatoes, and Cream

I’ve never been very good at pulling a dinner out of thin air, based solely on what I have on hand. Creating a recipe from scratch in my mind? Yeah, I can do that with no problem. But piecing together the puzzle of a meal with what I find in my cupboard is a lot harder for me.

During the week of the Fourth of July, I didn’t want to meal plan because I knew we’d have a lot of family things going on, and whatever I planned would inevitably not get made anyway. Because I didn’t meal plan, I didn’t go to the grocery store. And because I didn’t go to the grocery store, I found myself in the position of trying to creatively come up with dinners, based on just the ingredients in my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. I surprised myself by coming up with a few really delicious meals, and this pasta is one of them.

It’s composed of just a handful of ingredients, just random bits of things I had in the kitchen: a few strips of bacon, bow tie pasta, a cup or so of cream, a pint of cherry tomatoes, garlic, wine (I always have wine), a tiny bit of parmesan cheese. And we absolutely loved this dinner! The salty bacon offset the sweetness of the burst tomatoes perfectly. It was delicious, and something I will definitely make again – this time on purpose!

Farfalle with Bacon, Roasted Tomatoes and Cream

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

12-16 ounces farfalle

6 strips of bacon, diced

1 tablespoon butter

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream

Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a foil-lined baking sheet, combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of oil, and a generous sprinkling of salt and paper. Place in an even layer and roast in the oven 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes burst.

2. Meanwhile, cook farfalle in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

3. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain and drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan. Add butter to melt, then add garlic and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Stir in the wine, using a wooden spoon to pick up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in cream and heat until bubbling. Continue cooking until it’s slightly reduced and thickened, then stir in a handful of parmesan cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper, and set the sauce aside over low heat until the pasta is ready.

5. Gently combine drained pasta, roasted tomatoes, reserved bacon, and the cream sauce. Serve immediately.