Spinach and Artichoke pasta

I have never cooked with artichokes. I knew that spinach and artichoke taste good together because of the dip, but that dip is usually mostly cheese. I set out to look for a pasta recipe with spinach and artichoke without all the cheese.  I found several contenders that used masala wine that were broadly popular with the people on the internet.  I don't always trust the wisdom of the crowds, and some intelligent sources suggested that this dish would be better with just a few herbs and lemon juice. The popular vote was for Marsala wine, but the supreme court knew that lemon would be better. I used a combination of the recipes I'd read to come up with this very quick and easy midweek dish.

We used frozen artichoke hearts that steam in the bag (two bags). I steamed these and then added them to a pan of olive oil. Then added two cloves of garlic, a teaspon of parsley, a teaspoon of thyme and the juice of one lemon, a bunch of baby spinach, and about 1/4 cup of Parmesan. In another pot I boiled a pound of wholewheat penne pasta. In a third pan, I fried 5 rashers of streaky bacon and cut them into small peices. I tossed the pasta and the veggies together. Served with a sprinkle of Parmesan, crispy bacon and a slice of lemon for garnish.

This meal was 95% healthy.  The vast majority of the ingredients were vegetables and wholewheat pasta. The Parmesan was just a sprinkle, the bacon was maybe a little gratuitous,  but only 5 rashes of bacon between 4 adults... that's just a healthy compromise, right?

To celebrate my 35th blog post, my husband got me this tres leches cake. :D