New Recipe: Asparagus & Penne with Pesto Cream Sauce

When I started thinking about making dinner tonight, I wasn't sure what we were going to have. We didn't really have any "meat" (meaning a meat that Justin would find acceptable as a meal) and I really really didn't want hot dogs again. I remembered we had some pesto that I had bought a while ago, some pasta and asparagus. And somehow, I came up with this Asparagus and Penne with Pesto Cream Sauce. I think it was pretty good and Justin said it was good too! I forgot to take a picture of it but, here's the recipe. I hope everyone likes it as much as we did!

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch asparagus, rough chopped
- 4 slices bacon , crumbled
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1/2 a jar of pesto (I think it was about 3/4 cup and it wasn't pesto sauce...just thick pesto)
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (or to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put a pot of water on for the pasta and bring to a boil. Wash and cut the asparagus into thirds. Fry the bacon until crispy and remove from the pan. Drain most of the grease. Add pasta to boiling, salted water and cook to al dente. Add the asparagus to the pasta water in the last 3-5 minutes and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. In the same pan that you cooked the bacon in, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the pesto and the pasta water and stir to combine. Once the pesto is heated through, add the sour cream and parmesan and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and add more parmesan if desired. Toss sauce with the pasta and asparagus then fold in the crispy bacon. Makes about 6 servings.