Pasta with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Now that the weather is nice, the good people of Milwaukee are out pounding the pavement. They're running, jogging, walking, biking, skipping. Ok, well, not usually skipping, but you get the idea.

Most sane people would see this activity and think, "Golly gee! This delightful weather and the movement-oriented community around me are inspirational! I'd like to go roller-blading and then toast the occasion with a wheat grass smoothie!" Unfortunately, this wasn't the exact path my twisted brain took. Ever wondered about the inner-workings of Erin's brain? No? Well, I'll tell you anyway. Here is the logic that my mind followed:

Runners = Race = Carbo-loading = Let's have pasta for dinner!

Did I follow up that thought with some sort of athletic endeavor. Well, no. But I did fold some laundry. I think that counts for something.

Pasta with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Serves: 4

3 cups bow tie pasta (about 1/2 a box)
6 slices bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced

3/4 cup white wine

Salt and pepper

2 c. peas (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup crumbled mild goat cheese (next time, I'm going to try Parmesan)
1/4 cup basil, chopped

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserving about 1 cup of cooking water, drain pasta and keep warm.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Once it's cooled enough to handle, crumble bacon and set aside.

Drain most of the grease out of the pan, but leave about one tablespoon in the skillet. Saute the onion in the bacon grease until it's softened and translucent, about 7 minutes.

Add garlic to the pan and saute, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and stir, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring wine to a boil, turn down heat to medium-low, and allow wine to simmer for 4-5 minutes until reduced to a few tablespoons. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add pasta, bacon, peas, and cheese to the skillet. Stir until the pasta is coated and the cheese is melted. Add pasta cooking water as needed to thin sauce to desired consistency. At the last minute, stir in basil and serve.