I followed a recipe out of the cookbook Desperation Dinners – well, mostly. I always try to follow a recipe exactly the first time. But halfway through cooking, I found out that my parmesan cheese was moldy, so I skipped it, and then the recipe was very bland, so I spiced it up. So here’s my version of their “Two-for-One Noodles”:

Pasta with Ricotta

1 pound penne pasta
1 tbsp. olive oil
6 slices bacon (I think the original recipe called for 3 slices, but, c’mon…. BACON – I used the partially cooked kind)
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 15oz. container of ricotta
1 tbsp. chopped parsley (I used some from my garden that I froze)
2 tbsp. chopped basil (also frozen from my garden – I think the original recipe only called for 1 tbsp., but I do love me some basil)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Gett the pasta boiling. In a small skillet, heat the oil until it shimmers and add the onion. Cook it over low heat until it starts to go translucent. Chop the bacon roughly, and then kick up the heat just a bit on the onions and add the bacon to them. When the bacon is fully cooked, remove with a slotted spoon to a big serving bowl. Mix in the herbs, the pepper, and the ricotta.

Drain the pasta, reserving 3 tbsp. of the cooking water. Add that to the sauce mixture. Stir in half the pasta, and then the other half.

I think this would be MUCH better with the parmesan (I think it was 1/4 cup) and with the addition of some garlic. It was good. I served it with green beans drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with freshly cracked pepper and sea salt.