Pasta with Cauliflower, Bacon, and Bread Crumbs for Two
It’s 19 degrees outside right now with snow covering everything, but inside it’s toasty warm and smells like bacon and herbs. Smelling fresh herbs in the winter makes me happy! Smelling bacon ALWAYS makes me happy! 🙂
Easy weeknight meals also makes me happy but I also don’t want to sacrifice flavor for ease. This recipe delivers on both. Pasta, nutty cauliflower, meaty bacon and crispy bread crumbs are a wonderful combination and the flavors are so well balanced. The lemon juice at the end really helps to brighten it all up. Browning cauliflower in a skillet develops its flavors and cooks off some of the water to keep it from becoming mushy.
Cooking the pasta in a small amount of water skips the draining step and makes a creamy sauce as the pasta cooks. Topping the pasta with bacon-flavored bread crumbs adds texture and another layer of flavor.
- 2 slices bacon cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-inch florets
- 1 onion chopped fine
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 pound ziti rigati (or any ridged pasta)
- 2 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add panko and 1/4 tsp pepper and stir until browned and well coated, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
- Add 2 tsp. oil into empty skillet and heat until shimmering, add the cauliflower and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until browned in spots and crisp-tender, 7-10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover and keep warm.
- Heat 1 tsp of oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Increase heat to high, add pasta, broth, and wine, and bring to simmer. Cook pasta, stirring often, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat; stir in parsley, lemon juice, and cauliflower. Taste to see if additional salt and pepper is needed and serve, passing the bacon-breadcrumb mixture.
- If the pasta seems dry add 2 tbsp of hot water.
Cook-Off Chili for Two
When it’s cold out I start thinking about this chili! There is nothing better to warm you up and make you feel all cozy and comforted like a hot bowl of chili with melted cheddar cheese on top! We add sour cream to cool it down a little from the jalapeno kick. Everytime I make this for anyone they always ask for the recipe. I have a family member who made this recipe and won the chili cook-off at his church! I usually make the full recipe because there is always someone besides my husband and I that want some, but for the purposes of cooking for two I’m cutting the recipe in half so it’s more appropriate for just two people. If you want a lot of leftovers or you’re having company then head over to my entertaining page for the full recipe there, Cook-Off Chili.
This recipe comes together so quickly and doesn’t take long to cook at all. I’d say it takes me close to an hour from start to finish. I like prepping my veggies ahead of time and storing them in a ziploc bag so that I can just grab them out of the fridge when it’s time to cook!
Just start browning your ground beef and add 1/2 tsp of chili powder and 1/4 tsp of cumin in a Dutch oven. While the meat is browning I chop all my veggies if I haven’t done it ahead of time. Drain the meat and set it aside for now. You’ll take the same Dutch oven you browned your beef in and add 1 Tbsp of oil, I use canola oil. Toss in your chopped vegetables and saute until tender (about 10 minutes). Add your ground beef to the vegetables along with the tomato sauce, chili beans, water, tomato paste, salsa and 2 Tbsp chili powder. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Next, you add the kidney beans, beer, but only half a bottle, just drink the rest while you’re cooking, that’s the perk of cooking chili! 🙂 ripe olives and 1/4 tsp cumin, stir it well but be gentle with the beans and just simmer them gently or they’ll disentegrate. Simmer for another 15 minutes, uncovered this time, or until you’re ready to eat.
When I was adapting this recipe for two I could have done away with the kidney beans because you have chili beans in the chili already but I like the firmer texture of the kidney beans so I kept them in. I serve this with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce and tortilla chips! This will seriously rock your socks off! Just remember to put them back on or your feet will get cold! 😀
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp gound cumin
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 jalapeno, minced
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 of a 6 oz can of tomato paste (freeze the rest in a ziploc bag)
- 1/4 cup of salsa (jalapeno if you can find it)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
- 1/2 of a 12 oz beer
- 1 (2 1/2 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Cook ground beef, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp cumin in a Dutch oven until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat. Drain and set aside.
- Saute chopped onions, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in oil until tender.
- Add ground beef mixture.
- Stir in tomato sauce, chili beans, water, tomato paste, salsa, and 2 Tbsp chili powder.
- Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add kidney beans and next 5 ingredients, stirring well. Simmer 15 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve chili with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
