Recipe for Bacon Pasta with Pesto

HELLO AGAIN! You really can’t go wrong with ham or bacon. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, it makes for a tasty snack or main meal, any time of the day. The Pesto recipe below is very simple to make and delicious. However, there are some good brands available if time is really short. Don’t forget, when shopping, to choose ham and bacon with the Bord Bia Quality Mark to ensure they’ve been produced to the highest standards. I do hope you enjoy the recipes below.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4 450g dried chunky pasta shapes – such as rigatoni or penne 1 tablesp. oil 8 slices streaky bacon, diced 1 chilli, finely chopped Pesto 1 large bunch of fresh basil 50g pinenuts 50g mature/farmhouse cheddar cheese, chopped 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped 4-6 tablesp. groundnut or olive oil

METHOD 1 – Add the pasta to a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer until just done, 7-8 minutes approx. Drain but keep a few tablesp. of the cooking water. This will help the sauce cling to the pasta and adds a certain creaminess. 2 – In a large pan cook the bacon in hot oil until crisp. Stir in the chilli and 1-2 tablesp. of the cooking liquid. Remove from the heat. To make the Pesto: Whiz the basil, pinenuts, cheese and garlic together in the processor. Add the oil gradually. Place the pan back on the heat. Stir in the pasta and heat through. Add enough pesto to flavour well. Leftover pesto holds very well in the fridge and is a great addition to lots of meals and quick snacks.