Southwestern Pasta

Still getting those delicious cherry tomatoes at the market? – try this recipe from "All You Magazine".  You can also get in some of those beans you should be eating too.  We liked this because it wasn't drowning in cheese as so many southwestern-style dishes are.

I had some bacon I had precooked in the freezer, so I simply cooked it and the remaining ingredients in the same pan I cooked the pasta in.  My brother-in-law, Don, gave us some bacon he had processed at the Leighton Locker in Leighton, Iowa, and it gave this dish a nice smoky taste.
I used home-canned black beans.  I used cellentani, or try gemelli or rotini or plain elbow macaroni.  You can use pasta water mixed with a little chicken base instead of trying to find a ½ cup of chicken broth.

The original recipe called for making 4 servings...it easily made 6!     

                         Southwestern Pasta

  12         ounces  Pasta -- gemelli, cellentani, rotini, etc.

  4           slices  Bacon -- chopped

  1           teaspoon  Garlic -- minced

     1/2    teaspoon  Chili Powder

     1/2    cup  Chicken Broth

  15         ounces  Canned Black Beans -- drained and rinsed

  1           cup  Frozen Corn

  1           cup  Cherry Tomatoes

Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain.

Meanwhile cook bacon.  Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat, add garlic and chili powder and stir for 30 seconds.

Add broth, corn, tomatoes, and beans, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Add pasta to skillet, tossing to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired.

6 Servings