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Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus Recipe

Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Wouldn’t it be great to find a company-worthy dish that not only impresses with its taste, but with its nutrition numbers, too? That’s just what field editor Joanie Fuson of Indianapolis, IN was looking for...and what we were ultimately able to provide with her amazing rigatoni with bacon and asparagus. Joanie Fuson — Indianapolis, Indiana

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Healthy

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Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus Recipe

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 20 min.

Yield: 8 Servings

25 20 45

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
8 bacon strips
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
In the same pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon and set aside. Saute garlic in butter and oil until tender. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Stir in mozzarella cheese until melted. Drain pasta; add to pan. Stir in the salt, asparagus, parsley and reserved bacon. Sprinkle with pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1-1/4 cups equals 345 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 32 mg cholesterol, 428 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 15 g protein.

Originally published as Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus in Healthy Cooking April/May 2010, p23

Medium-Bodied Red Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied red wine such as Chianti, Sangiovese, Malbec or Zinfandel.

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Reviews for Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus

Makeover Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus

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Reviewed on Mar. 07, 2013 by kelkel_7

doesn't reheat well though, but it is delicious

Reviewed on Jul. 10, 2012 by rach989marie

So Good!

Reviewed on Jun. 02, 2011 by kelkel_7

Really good!! I used more cheese and garlic, really great, I make this as a side or lunch

Reviewed on Apr. 28, 2011 by dawnrosanne

Really good. I didn't have asparagus on hand, so I used broccoli. My hubby thought it was a bit salty because of the bacon, so I think that the salt ingredient could be omitted.

Reviewed on Oct. 16, 2010 by bellegoneyank

Clean plates all around! This was super fast, easy and cheap. I didn't have bacon on hand, so I subbed canadian bacon and it was great, plus lower in fat. I will definitely make this again. Next time I may add walnuts or sun dried tomatoes.

Reviewed on Jul. 13, 2010 by tayanea

I added Broccoli and Sundried tomatoes to this and it did not last long. Will absolutely make this again and again.

Reviewed on Jun. 30, 2010 by 3152004703

I made this for my family at home then took it over to my mom's house then my grandmother's house. They all love it and keep asking when I'll make it again. It's a super easy recipe and only really used one pot. I LOVE this dish!

Reviewed on Jun. 26, 2010 by Amberbakes

Loved it! Bacon kind of disappeared so I would leave it in bigger crumbles next time. I added diced red pepper and zucchini to the recipe for added veggies. I also made about twice as much sauce, guess it's not really makeover then but it was really good!

Reviewed on Jun. 22, 2010 by kaytejom

My husband, picky 5 year old and I loved this recipe! In fact, my husband asked for it twice in one week. It is definitely a keeper. Going in my recipe book now.

Reviewed on Jun. 07, 2010 by avalonblythe

It didn't have a lot of flavor. Not a favorite.

Reviewed on May. 24, 2010 by andij68

We loved this. I made it with rotini and as another reviewer said, it soaked up all the sauce. I will double the sauce ingredients next time. I will also use Parmesan instead of mozzarella in the sauce which stuck to the bottom of the pan. great recipe, just needs tweaking.

Reviewed on May. 14, 2010 by mperso

My husband loved this. Next time I would use a smaller pasta as the rigatoni I used soaked up all the sauce. Also, I roasted the aspargus in the oven while I was making the sauce so I didn't have to mess with the ice water.

Reviewed on Apr. 14, 2010 by lwmvca

Loved this! I used whole wheat pasta and fat free half-and-half. I also used frozen steam in the bag asparagus, which cut down on the prep time.

Reviewed on Apr. 14, 2010 by shebby68

Made this for a potluck and everyone could not get enough of it....cannot wait to make this again but think I will use shrimp instead of bacon THANK You for the great recipe

Reviewed on Mar. 29, 2010 by wptrains

This is excellent. My whole family loved it. I added a few sliced mushrooms which made it even better.

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