As promised here is the next of my simple pasta dishes; a recipe which makes full use of the delicious pesto recipe I recently posted. It’s amazing, I’ve finally started living up to my promises – only traditional Spanish and Welsh food to come on that front. Sorry if anyone has been waiting for these empty foodie promises, they will come. However, back to the dish – this is real comfort food at its best, there is nothing quite like sitting down after a hard day with a bowl of pesto and pasta in hand. Although they do add quite a lot, the mushrooms and bacon are there merely to improve and make wholesome the already spectacular basil flavour.
Today is my last true day of being an undergraduate student – I graduate tomorrow at 11.15am. I believe it is tradition, following a graduation ceremony, to go for a meal with the parents, and I don’t mean to break such a well-worn ritual. Indeed, we intend to take a trip over the road from the magnificent Will’s Memorial Building to Jamie’s Italian, a restaurant which I’ve only heard good things about. It’s really all quite exciting, even if I have to get up at around 5.30 am tomorrow in order to drive to Bristol in time to actually make the ceremony.
Without further ado, please enjoy this meal – comfort food at it’s very best!
Pesto and Mushroom Pasta with Bacon Crisps {recipe}
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 4 heaped tsp basil pesto
• 400g penne pasta
• 2 rashers of smoked bacon, very thinly sliced
• 8-10 chestnut or button mushrooms, sliced
Method:
1. Put the pasta on to boil. Heat the grill up and carefully place each thin slice of bacon individually on some foil. Do not touch the bacon until it has gone really nice and crispy, it is so thin it shouldn’t need turning.
2. Fry the mushrooms in a frying pan with some olive oil for around 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix together the drained pasta, mushrooms and pesto. Serve in a bowl and garnish with the bacon crisps. Bon Appetit!
Cost:
Including all four portions, this meal should cost a cheery £1.20-30. You may want to serve it with a salad, but I found it quite enough.
11 replies on “Pesto and Mushroom Pasta with Bacon Crisps”
Looks really good, especially with the bacon!
Congratulations your graduation!! Nothing like being done with all that school stuff!! I remember feeling like a load was lifted and it was a wonderful feeling.
Thanks! I actually really want to go back 😛 But I can understand the feelings.
Congratulations on your graduation! This looks delicious, sometimes I forget about simple meals like pasta and pesto.
Thanks! I love them.
How exciting, a huge congratulations on graduating! I hope you have a wonderful meal. I love pesto, and it has been years since I’ve made it from scratch. I think I need to again.
Thanks! You do!
This looks delicious! I’ve been thinking about making a pesto lately. It seems so summery somehow with the basil and the simplicity of the ingredients.
Oh do it. It is really summery! So delicious, and really simple. See my pesto recipe.
Great recipe. Love the crispy bacon on top. Congrats on graduating, too.
Thanks!
This is seriously good, have just made it for a night in when I can cook just to my liking. Love your recipes, very much the kind of cooking I enjoy. Have had to tighten my belt for the past couple of years, but even I don’t need to count every penny I still like to know I can eat well without silly spending!