We're really excited to have partnered with Chantal Cookware to bring you a series of recipes using their innovative cookware  range and our premium ingredients.

Chantal Corporation is a Houston based cookware company that began in 1971 by German-born engineer, Heida Thurlow. Chantal was the first cookware company to bring dramatic colors, tempered glass lids and stay-cool handles to American kitchens and Heida has received numerous design awards and utility patents for her innovative tea kettles and cookware lines.

Heida and I met at the Houston Culinary Guild for Texas women in the food industry and have been enjoying talking business and food as well as personally using each other's products.

Today, we're in the Chantal test kitchen, cooking up an Avocado and Bacon Pasta Salad. It's light, flavorful and perfect for summer BBQs and picnics.

Ingredients and Tools:

8 slices bacon

4 tablespoons of J&P Avocado Oil

1 cup red onion

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

8 oz dried pasta (we used bow tie pasta which looks so pretty!)

3 avocados

1 lemon

1/2 red bell pepper 

2 tablespoons of green scallions

3 fresh basil leaves

1 & 1/2 cups feta cheese

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Using:

Chantal Enamel-on-Steel Sauté Pan (3 Qt.)

Chantal ID21 Saucepan with Pour Spout and Strainer (2.5 Qt.)

How to make the salad

Fry the bacon until crispy and transfer it to a plate with a towel to absorb the excess oil. Give it 5 minutes to cool so it can be broken into bite sized pieces.

Tip the excess bacon grease from the pan and pour in a tablespoon of avocado oil. Avocado oil is particularly good for high heat cooking because it has a high smoke point.

Sauté chopped red onions and garlic until translucent. Take off the heat and set aside.

Add a teaspoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil and 2 quarts water to the saucepan, add the pasta and cook until al dente (approximately 8 - 10 minutes)

While the pasta is cooking, chop the avocados in chunks and squeeze half a lemon over them. Roughly chop the bell pepper, scallions, feta and basil. 

Drain the pasta (which is really easy in Chantal's saucepan with the strainer and spout) and tip the pasta on top of the onion and garlic in the sauté pan.

Add the avocados and other remaining chopped ingredients to the pasta and onion mixture. Top with a touch of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Another awesome thing about this pan is you can take the whole pan out to the table for serving and it looks great!

This simple dish is sure to be a family favorite this summer