Bacon & courgette pasta with chickpeas

Name: Bacon & courgette pasta with chickpeas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200 g pack Essential British Unsmoked Bacon Lardons; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 500 g Essential Courgettes, cut into bitesized chunks; 2 clove/s garlic, crushed; 400 g pack cherry vine tomatoes; 200 g Essential Macaroni; 1 L chicken stock (made using 2 cubes); 400 g cans Essential Chickpeas In Water, drained and rinsed; 20 g Essential Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, finely grated; 25 g pack basil, leaves picked; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to serve

The secret to this filling, simple one pot is concentrating the flavours fully within the broth; get good colour on the bacon, and choose ripe, full flavoured tomatoes. The stock can be made with cubes, a stock pot or fresh, if you have it.

5 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe

HealthySource of fibre2 of your 5 a day

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare10 mins
Cook35 mins
Total time45 mins

Please note that while we take every care to ensure the product and recipe information displayed on our website is correct, in the event that a product is unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution may be given. This may affect the nutrition and allergen information, therefore if you have any allergy or intolerance, please ensure you have reviewed the product label to ensure it is suitable for you to consume.

Ingredients

200g pack Essential British Unsmoked Bacon Lardons
1 onion, thinly sliced
500g Essential Courgettes, cut into bitesized chunks
2 clove/s garlic, crushed
400g pack cherry vine tomatoes
200g Essential Macaroni
1 L chicken stock (made using 2 cubes)
2 x 400g cans Essential Chickpeas In Water, drained and rinsed
20g Essential Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, finely grated
¼ x 25g pack basil, leaves picked
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method

Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the lardons. Fry for 6-7 minutes, stirring often, until the lardons are golden and crisp. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat, add the onions and courgettes and fry for 4-5 minutes, until softening. Stir often and scrape the base of the pan to release any sticky bacon fat. Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes more until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, pasta, stock and chickpeas and bring to a simmer
Once bubbling, partially cover the pan, reduce the heat slightly and gently simmer for 15 minutes more, until the pasta is tender and you have a soupy-stew consistency.
Check the seasoning, then divide between bowls and top with the reserved lardons, the cheese, basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tip

If you have a spare parmesan rind in the fridge or freezer, add it during the simmer stage – it will give a delicious depth of flavour. Remove before serving.