Creating New Traditions (Plus Bacon + Squash Farfalle Recipe!)

Over the holidays I talked a lot about my family’s deep rooted traditions and recipes, which brought up a thought that never crossed my mind before: I’m unconsciously failing at creating my own traditions. I’m now on a mission to start our own activities and recipes to pass down to generations to come, starting with a delicious pasta dish.

Since I was a little girl the women in my family have used Ragú (unless they’re cooking up a big pot of homemade sauce), so no other sauce measures up in the comfort food department. In an effort to keep that same classic flavor while starting a new recipe tradition for my family, I grabbed a jar of my old favorite and added a few new ingredients.

I landed on squash for me, bacon for my husband, and garlic and basil for all.

Bacon & Squash Farfalle

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Yields: 4-6 servings

• 1 jar Ragú Old World Style Traditional
• 1 box farfalle
• 1 large yellow squash
• 5 bacon strips, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c. basil, julienned
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Salt

1. Cook farfalle on stovetop to taste using a pinch of salt.
2. Cut yellow squash in half vertically and slice remaining pieces.
3. Sauté yellow squash and garlic in frying pan over medium-high heat with splash of olive oil until lightly browned. Empty into bowl and set aside.
4. Add chopped bacon to already hot frying pan and cook all the way through. Add yellow squash mixture and stir for 1 minute.
5. Strain farfalle and mix with bacon and squash mixture.
6. Mix with jar of Ragú while dish is still hot.
7. Top with julienned basil and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

• Preparation time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes

Did you know that Ragú was has roots tracing back just 67 miles from where I grew up in Buffalo? Well I didn’t, but I wanted to know more once I found out. Apparently a woman named Assunta Cantisano and her husband Giovanni first started the company back in 1937 in their basement.

Maybe it’s the hometown connection, the likeness to my own grandmother’s delicious sauce (and the fact that her maiden name, Carniato, is so similar), but it always makes me feel warm with thoughts of home.

Be sure to keep up with other amazing recipes by checking out the hashtags #simmeredintradition and #ragu!

What foods remind you of home? Have you created any recipes that you’ll be passing on to loved ones?