This simple pasta dish makes a great midweek dinner. Easy to prepare, this recipe from Bord Bia takes just 20 minutes, and is sure to satisfy everyone in the family.
Serves: four
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
200g smoked bacon lardons
300g spaghetti, penne, or linguini
1 tablesp rapeseed or olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
250g brown caped mushrooms, thickly sliced
100g cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 tablesp pesto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil, roughly torn
2 tablesp pine nuts, lightly toasted
Method
To cook the pasta: In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook the pasta as per packet instructions. Drain through a colander or sieve, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the saucepan.
To make the sauce: While the pasta is cooking add a tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for four or five minutes until golden. Add the bacon and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes. Then add the tomatoes. Stir well and allow to cook for two to three minutes until they begin to wilt.
Add this mixture to the pasta in the saucepan. Stir, then add the pesto and approximately 50ml of the reserved cooking liquid. Mix well. Taste and season as necessary.
To serve: Divide the mixture among four pasta bowls and sprinkle over the basil leaves and pine nuts.
