Express bacon and pesto pasta

Preparation time Cooking time Serves

less than 30 mins 10 to 30 mins Serves 4-6

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. Add the pine nuts and dry fry over a medium-low heat for a
few minutes, until toasted and golden brown.
3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, then add the onion and pasta. Cook according to the
pasta packet instructions, adding the broccoli 3 minutes before the end. Drain the pasta
and vegetables, refreshing the broccoli separately in cold water to stop the cooking and to
set the colour. Set aside the pasta to cool.
4. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large, dry pan over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes,
or until crisp and golden-brown, stirring often. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooked bacon
and add the remainder to the pasta.
5. Add the pesto, tomatoes and broccoli to the cooked pasta mixture. Season with black
pepper and stir.
6. Tip into a serving dish, scatter with toasted pine nuts, the reserved bacon and Parmesan
and serve.

Recipe Tips
Once made, this dish will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
You could a few tablespoons of good mayonnaise, if you wanted a creamy pasta salad.

From Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking