Here is a quick and easy pasta dish that you can get on the table in minutes. I first tried this at a friend’s house and was surprised that something so simple can taste so good. The spinach is my addition and I think it goes really well, but if spinach isn’t your thing then feel free to serve a big green salad on the side instead.
The dish is really quick and easy to throw together making it a good one to have up your sleeve for those evenings when you are late in, or dashing out. It really is just a case of frying the bacon until it begins to brown then throwing in the jar of sundried tomato paste, a little swig of cream and some seasoning.
Apart from tomato ketchup or salsa, I’ve found that this recipe is the easiest way to get tomatoes down my youngest. The sundried tomato paste tastes very different to regular tomatoes in any form, so if tomato based sauces are usually off limits in your house then it may be worth giving this a go.
If you want to have a meat free day then feel free to leave the bacon out – the sundried tomato paste packs enough punch to make a great sauce on its own, or add some feta or halloumi chunks, a handful of olives or even a can of tuna.
Linguine with Smoked Bacon, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Spinach
Ingredients
- 80 g spaghetti or linguine per person
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 300 g smoked bacon
- 1 x190g jar sun-dried tomato paste (I like the Sacla brand)
- 2 tablespoons single cream
- 100 g baby spinach
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the pasta
- Cook according to packet instructions.
For the sauce
- Cut the fat from the bacon. Cut the bacon into bite sized pieces and put in the pan, with the olive oil, over a medium heat. Cook through, stirring occasionally, until the bacon begins to brown. Spoon the sun-dried tomato paste into the bacon, add a splash of water to the jar, shake well and add this to the sauce. Heat through. Once the sauce is hot add the cream, heat again and season to taste. Don’t worry if the sauce splits at this point – it will be fine once it is stirred into the pasta.
To assemble
- When the pasta is cooked and before it is drained, add the spinach to the pasta pan, pushing it under the water with a wooden spoon. Drain immediately, reserving some of the pasta water. I do this by placing a mug under the colander.
- Return the pasta and spinach to the pan and stir in the sauce using some of the pasta water to loosen everything – I usually use about half a mugful.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
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