BLT Ranch Penne Pasta!

For tonight's dinner, I hit it outta the ball park, if I do say so myself. BLT Ranch pasta. I mean it has BACON in it. What's not to like? Plus spinach and tomatoes so you can kinda feel good about eating it. My husband went back for a second helping and said "I'll make you a deal... If you make this, I WILL eat it."

The idea for this started because we had some cherry tomatoes that were looking kinda sad and wrinkly. Which makes them PERFECT for a pasta dish - trust me! They plump up when you cook them, but they don't burst. Plus their flavor is intensified by having dried out a bit on the counter. And since both bacon and pasta were on sale at the market today. Winner, winner bacon pasta dinner!

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz pasta of choice
12 pieces thick cut bacon
1 T. Butter
1 T. Olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 giant fistfuls of baby spinach
1 T. Ranch dressing mix (or more to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
1). Line a cookie sheet with foil & lay out your slices of bacon. Put into a cold oven and set temperature to 375. Set timer for 20 minutes. Bacon should be perfectly crisp and golden.
2). While bacon is cooking, cook your pasta with very salted water according to box directions.
3). Once bacon is cooked, stack and slice into 1 inch strips.
4). When pasta is close to done, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil.
5). Add cherry tomatoes and bacon.
6). Add drained pasta & spinach. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking, until spinach begins to wilt.
7.). Sprinkle with ranch dressing mix and toss to coat. Serve with fresh cracked pepper.

And...YUMM! See how the tomatoes plumped?!?! Super tasty and quick.