Bacon and broccoli penne
This delightful dish brings together crispy bacon, vibrant broccoli and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan for a flavour-packed meal. Using a trusty cast-iron casserole pot, you’ll whip up these tasty penne in no time – perfect for a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love. Top tip: use premium bacon (like ours) that doesn’t lose any water when cooked.
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 15 mins
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
- 400g penne pasta
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 dry-cured bacon rashers, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 100g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper
Recipe
- Using a large cast-iron casserole pot, bring some salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the pack instructions until al dente.
- Reserve a cup of cooking water, before draining the pasta and then set it aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, place about an inch of water in a saucepan with a steamer basket and bring it to a boil.
- Steam the broccoli florets for about 5 minutes until tender but still vibrant green. You can also place the broccoli directly into the boiling water if you don’t have a steamer basket. Drain and set aside.
- In the same pan as used for the pasta, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and fry for about 5–7 minutes.
- Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the crushed garlic to the same pan and sauté for around 1–2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the cooked penne and broccoli to the pan with the garlic. Toss everything together over a medium heat, adding some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a light sauce.
- Stir in the bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle generously with the grated Parmesan.
Serve hot with extra Parmesan and a fresh side salad, and watch everyone’s faces light up with delight. 😊
Also take a look at these pasta recipes: