Serves six people.
This is a very satisfying favorite recipe my mother taught me. To make it healthier, I use brown rice. It tastes delicious. This dish demonstrates how a little bacon can flavor an entire sauce or dish. Cooking the bacon separately and blotting off the fat eliminates calories.

This dish is also excellent with shrimp in addition to or in place of the bacon. Use three to four large shrimp per person. Clean and devein them and toss them raw into the sauce when it is almost done. The shrimp will cook in only a few minutes.

If you like a little heat, you can add a pinch of red chili flakes.

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 strips bacon
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, brushed clean, sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups San Marzano tomato sauce

1. Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Set aside.

2. While the rice cooks, sauté the bacon in a small skillet until crispy. Set it aside to drain on paper towels.

3. Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.

4. Sweat the onion, peppers, and mushrooms until soft, add salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Add the tomato sauce.

6. Crumble the bacon into small pieces, and add to the sauce.

7. Add the cooked rice.

8. Simmer over medium-low heat for several minutes so flavors amalgamate.

Nutrition Facts (by serving)
Calories 240
Calories from fat 26%
Fat (grams) 7
Saturated fat (grams) 1
Cholesterol (milligrams) 3
Carbohydrates (grams) 41
Protein (grams) 6
Sodium (milligrams) 390

Note: there are approximately 43 calories in a slice of bacon. Making this without the bacon results in 86 less calories total, or 14 calories less per serving.