BST Pasta Salad

I thought a BLT pasta salad would be a good idea but I didn't think wilted lettuce would be too good, so I used baby spinach instead, which is great wilted.  So, I had to name it BST instead of BLT.  Turned out really good and I loved the croutons.  Stuart loved having bacon!

½ loaf hearty, crusty bread (I used ciabatta), cut into cubes

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. dried parsley

1 lb. pasta (I used spiralini)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bag (6-8 oz.) baby spinach
½ pound bacon
½ cup (or more) grated fresh parmesan
¼ cup olive oil + more for croutons
2 T. sherry vinegar (just about any wine vinegar will do)
1 t. Dijon mustard
1-2 T. minced shallot

First, make the croutons:  Put the bread chunks into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Add the garlic, parsley, and a light dusting of parmesan.  Stir well.  Spread out on a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 375° for about 15 minutes.

Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and put in a large skillet.  Turn the heat to medium and cook the bacon until done.  Drain well on a paper-towel lined dish.

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook until just done and drain.

In a large serving bowl, add the vinegar, Dijon, and shallot.  Season with salt.  Whisk in the olive oil until well blended.  Add the pasta to the vinaigrette and stir to incorporate.  Add the tomatoes, baby spinach, bacon, and parmesan.  Mix well.

If you are serving the salad to a crowd, mix in the croutons.  If not, just put the croutons on top of individual servings and save the rest of the croutons for your leftover salad.