11 September 2014

Bacon and Broccoli Bowtie Pasta

When I was a kid and my mom was a SAHM like I was (feeling more like a mompreneur/freelancer lately), I always see her in the kitchen making rice and fried chicken, rice and hotdog, rice and fried fish, rice and tinola, rice and anything that her four children liked for lunch or dinner. I didn't see anything wrong with it. In fact, I loved how she made sure that we still ate healthily while she gave in to our juvenile palate. She aimed to please us. Thank God for Mama! However, why rice all the time? Hmm... Perhaps, it's in the culture. Most, if not all, Filipinos can't live without rice. I am not an exception. I can't eat my pork adobo or beef sinigang without it. It's really best paired with rice. You know what I mean. But now that I'm a grown-up and a mom myself, who's a self-proclaimed kitchen goddess by the way, I realized that rice is not just the answer to our hunger.


There is pasta. 

It's a little more expensive than rice but has the same 'filling effect'. It's very versatile, too. It can be paired with any meat... and vegetables! Yes, veggies. Any mom's ultimate challenge to feed to her kids. The preschool popstar has those she can't even look at, what more to eat, but she also has favorites! One of those few faves is broccoli. It's green and not so appealing, I'm happy that she likes it. So I was like in nirvana when I discovered that. 

Post-discovery, I formulated a plan: make her eat broccoli regularly. This super green mini tree-like veggie is rich in Vitamin C. So of course, broccoli forevah baby! But it's boring if it's eaten as it is. Or eaten the same way (read: with beef strips) over and over again. It has to be delicious. It has to be irresistible. I let it swam in butter. I paired it with other cute veggies. I allowed it to get skinny-dippin' with bacon's sinful oil and a little cream (or milk) for more oomph. I made it happier with beautifully shaped pasta! I cooked broccoli with bacon and bowtie pasta. It's one of my daughter's many favorites. Oh wait, I also topped it with Parmesan cheese! Can you smell it? Do you imagine how delicious it is? Let's cook it, mommas. Here's the recipe.


Ingredients: 

- 250 gms bowtie pasta, cooked per package instruction
- a pack of quality bacon (I used King Sue Ham), diced
- broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 cup cream (all-purpose/heavy/culinary)
- butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup water


Procedure:

1. In a pan over medium heat, cook bacon in water until water evaporates. Let it sizzle for a bit but don't let it brown that much. We still want our kids' little teeth to chew it easily.

2. Add butter. Smell if you want but don't burn. So put the garlic. Smell again, it's so good, I tell 'ya! 

3. Mix in the broccoli. Season with cute amount of salt and pepper.

4. When the green babies have slightly changed darker, make the beautiful bowtie pasta join the sizzling greasy party. 

5. Lower the heat then pour the cream. Toss 'em gently until everything's kinda painted in white.

6. Put off the fire. Top it with Parmesan cheese and dried oregano. Pair it with toasted pandesal and dine with the kids. Enjoy!

For more of my recipes, click here. Happy cooking! 

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