BLT Pasta Salad

~12 oz corkscrew shape pasta (I used bowtie)
~1/2 c milk
~12 oz bacon
~3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
~1 tablespoon thyme
~1 clove garlic
~salt and pepper
~1/2 c mayo
~1/4 c sour cream
~4 tablespoons chives
~5 heads lettuce

Cook pasta, drain and toss with milk. Cook bacon. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of drippings from pan. Add tomatoes, garlic and thyme, warm. Season with salt and pepper. Crumble bacon into bite size pieces then toss with pasta and tomato mixture. Mix mayo, sour cream and chives with pasta, add lettuce, toss again.

I made a much smaller batch of this for myself for lunch. It was pretty good and didn't take too long to whip up. It would be an excellent side dish for a BBQ or picnic!

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

~ 8 oz box fettuccine
~10 tbsp butter, divided
~8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~3 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
~2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
~1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
~2/3 cup boiling water (from your noodle pot)
~1 lb cooked shrimp (I used frozen)

Boil water and cook pasta.  I only used half of the 8 oz box. Cook shrimp, or thaw under hot water if using frozen.In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs.  The cream cheese looks kind of funny, but don't worry about it, it will work out when you add the water. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cooked noodles. Enjoy!

So very yummy!