Pasta a la' Rox

Last night I got home and really didn't feel like making anything too complicated.  I wanted something that would be done FAST, but after a long day I didn't want to settle for something like a sandwich.  Not that there's anything wrong with a sandwich, I just wanted a hot plate that would be satisfying- you know, "food food", real food. My little sister-in-law was at our house and pasta is her favorite, so I started thinking of what pasta dish I could make.  I remembered that I came up with this dish a few months ago. This is pasta done my way, hence the name of the post.   I don't know why I never blogged about it, maybe because I knew this one was a keeper and I'd be making it again soon. Turns out, I was right and here's the proof!

Ingredients:
1 box linguine
1 large onion (preferably red)
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 large (20 oz. I think) can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar ( I used brown)
3 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup extra dry vermouth (or any dry white wine)
4 tbsp. cream or half & half  (if you want to watch the fat on this dish use fat free half and half and reduce the butter or olive oil to 1 tbsp.)
1/4 cup capers with their brine
1 package turkey bacon
4 tbsp.  fresh chopped parsley to add on top at the end
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese to add on top at the end
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) to add on top at the end

First turn up your oven to 400 degrees.  Place the bacon strips on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven.  While the bacon cooks,  add water to a tall pot, season with a liberal amount of salt and bring to a boil. Once the water is vigorously boiling, add in the linguine.  Cook the pasta until it's al dente, about 8 minutes.  While the pasta cooks, let's begin making the sauce.   Chop up the onion, a medium to small dice would be good.  Roughly chop up the garlic and add the butter or olive oil to the pan.  Turn up the heat to medium-high and once the butter melts or the oil gets hot, add in half of the onion you just chopped and all of the garlic. Saute until the onion and garlic become tender and then add in the flour.  Combine well and add the crushed tomatoes and cream.  Stir everything really well and season with a little salt.   Next add in the vermouth and two tablespoons of the chopped parsley. Stir the sauce well and let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.   While the sauce simmers,  check on the pasta.  If it's done, drain it well and rinse with water to prevent sticking.  Check on the bacon, and once it's slightly crispy, remove from the oven and begin to slice.   Check on the sauce and add in the capers and sugar. Make sure to add some of the caper brine along with the capers to the sauce, it adds a really nice flavor.  Stir to combine all of the ingredients well.   Taste the sauce to make sure the seasoning is to your liking, adding salt as needed.  Now lets begin assembling your pasta.  Transfer the linguine to a bowl and spoon some sauce over the pasta.  Add some of the raw onion you reserved, some chopped parsley and the turkey bacon.  Don't forget to add a little shredded Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.  Serve hot and enjoy!