General

Express bacon and pesto pasta

Express bacon and pesto pasta

This is made possible by BBC Foods!

Ingredients

  • 150g/5½oz broccoli head, thick stem removed
  • 25g/1oz pine nuts, to serve
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 350g/12oz penne
  • 300g/10½oz smoked back bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 150g/5½oz basil pesto
  • 150g/5½oz cherry tomatoes halved
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 25g/1oz Parmesan shavings, to serve

Method

  1. Cut the broccoli into florets and chop the green stems into small chunks.

  2. Heat a small frying pan until hot.

    1. Add the pine nuts and dry fry over medium-low heat for a few minutes.

  3. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, then add the onion and pasta.

  4. Cook according to the pasta packet instructions, adding the broccoli 3 minutes before the end.

    1. Drain the pasta and vegetables, refreshing the broccoli separately in cold water to stop the cooking and to set the color.

    2. Set aside the pasta to cool.

  5. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large, dry pan over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.

  6. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooked bacon and add the remainder to the pasta.

  7. Add the pesto, tomatoes, and broccoli to the cooked pasta mixture.

    1. Season with black pepper and stir.

  8. Tip into a serving dish, scatter with toasted pine nuts, the reserved bacon, and Parmesan, and serve.

Banner and Image Credit: BBC

Leave a Reply

Skip to toolbar