Pasta Week and Heirloom Tomato & Pancetta Pasta

Happy Monday and welcome to Pasta Week on A Squared!

Why Pasta Week, you ask? Because it's my hands down favorite food to cook and to eat and... well, it's my blog so I can do what I want.

But seriously, I really do love pasta and I always have. It's another one of those foods that conjures up great memories for me: When my mom was a super young wife and mommy when I was little her homemade spaghetti sauce was one of her trademark recipes and one of my favorite things to eat. And then there was my grandma, who is Sicilian and perfected her "long sauce" recipe which would simmer all day (hence the name) until she was ready to serve it up to a crowd of at least 10-20 hungry family members. Finally, there was the semester that I lived in Italy in college. There is simply nothing that compares to real Italian pasta.

So, this week we are honoring my favorite food starting with a super easy one dish dinner: Heirloom Tomato & Pancetta Pasta. This pasta dish is light, but still filling with a great combination of flavors-- sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar, salty pancetta, nutty whole wheat pasta, and some hearty vegetables come together to create a perfect, simple, and actually pretty healthy (pancetta aside) dinner. It's a great recipe to break out when you need to use up some of these pantry staples and you could also sub in any veggies that you like or that you have on hand. Get creative and enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 
  
• 3 oz. pancetta, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 12 oz. heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dry parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. dry basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• 4 oz. baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups whole wheat penne, hot & cooked
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic to the pan and cook for another minute, stirring constantly so it does not burn.

Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes and then pour in broth and vinegar. Raise heat, bring to a boil, and then reduce to medium and simmer until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Season with parsley, basil, salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and stir in spinach leaves. Once the leaves have wilted, toss the mixture with the hot cooked pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan.