My Take on a Tik-Tok Hack, Plus Two Great Dessert Ideas

Remember that viral Tik-Tok video of the Feta Tomato Pasta from a few years ago? If you have not, feel free to click the link. It was quite the rage and was even seen on several cooking shows because of how easy it was to make and how delicious it tasted.

I love the method but I decided to put my own spin on it with something a little bit fancier, hence my new Baked Brie, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta. Lunch may never be the same.

I crisped some bacon and cut it into pieces to start.

I poured off all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat and melted two tablespoons of butter. Butter + bacon fat = FLAVOR OVERLOAD.

I continued by sautéing sliced cremini mushrooms and onions with salt and pepper.

Once the vegetables were soft, I added thinly sliced garlic and a bunch of fresh thyme.

Next, I deglazed with some white wine and added Dijon mustard and heavy cream.

I added my fusilli, which I cooked for one minute less than the package directions because I knew the pasta would continue cooking in the oven. I made a well in the center of the pan and added a wheel of brie, which had the top rind removed.

I covered the pan with foil and popped it into the oven at 375 degrees for fifteen minutes, until it looked like this.

I used a spoon to swirl the melted cheese all through the pasta and mushrooms, removed the rind, and then popped it back into the oven, uncovered, for a few minutes. While it was in the oven, I combined toasted pine nuts with lemon zest, basil leaves, and one clove of garlic in my food processor, pulsing until it looked like confetti.

Right before I served, I added the crumbled bacon plus the basil mixture and finished with a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan and lemon wedges. Heaven in a pan.

Fifteen minutes later......

Need some new dessert ideas? Here are two - First, I whipped up Ina Garten's Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie from her new "Go-To Dinners" cookbook. As with all of her cookbooks, this one is a winner and every recipe is accessible to all ability levels in the kitchen. I own them all and I encourage any home cook to do the same!

My nose was so happy at this point!

A scoop of your favorite ice cream is all you need! (This one happens to be my friend's homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream and it paired beautifully with the pie!)

Another great dessert idea is my Mulled Wine Poached Pears. This is so easy, so fancy, and so delicious! I love making mulled wine in the winter. Red wine, apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. Just let it simmer away for hours in a crock pot. I took half of the wine and transferred it to a large pot, and submerged peeled pears, leaving only the stem in place for a pretty presentation. I poached them for twenty minutes, turning often to ensure even coloring. I then removed them from the liquid and transferred them to the fridge. Before serving, I took the remaining poaching liquid and cooked it down until it became syrupy which I drizzled over the pears and some vanilla ice cream. It does not get any easier than this!

Have a delicious weekend!