Bacon And Mushroom Penne Recipe

This pasta dish is very quick and simple to cook but is flavoursome and refreshing. This makes it an ideal meal to whip up when short of time. It can be eaten with just a fork, so put it in a large bowl and balance it on your knee while watching television.

The amounts shown are enough for one person, so multiply up the main ingredients depending on the number of people being cooked for. Adjust the garlic, chilli and parsley according to taste if cooking for more than one.

The amount of time the penne needs to be boiled varies depending on the brand, so check on the packaging. Normally there is a range of cooking times with the shorter time producing a firmer al dente style.

Smoked bacon can be used instead of unsmoked but this tends to have a stronger flavour and could overwhelm the dish.

The chilli is optional, but if not used then half a teaspoon of ground black pepper should be added instead. More chilli can be used if a hotter dish is preferred.

Only a small amount of olive oil is needed, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Devices for fine spraying oil onto the pan exist and are suitable for this dish as the bacon will create its own oil as it starts to cook.

Serve with a crisp and sharp white wine or a light hoppy or citrusy summer beer.

Ingredients

• Pinch of turmeric
• Two fistfuls of dried penne
• Two rashers of unsmoked lean back bacon
• Two mushrooms
• One small chilli
• One clove of garlic
• Quarter of a teaspoon of finely chopped parsley
• Olive oil

Method

1. Add the turmeric to a pan of water and bring to the boil
2. Add the penne and boil till ready, about ten minutes
3. Trim the fat off the bacon and chop into approximately 1cm squares
4. Slice the mushrooms, chop the chilli and crush the garlic
5. Mix the bacon, mushrooms, chilli, garlic and parsley in a bowl
6. Heat the oil is a wok or frying pan and add the bacon mixture
7. Cook, stirring constantly, on a medium heat until the bacon is cooked, about four to five minutes
8. Drain the pasta and add to the bacon dish
9. Stir for about a minute until well mixed
10. Serve immediately