dinner:

bacon and spring vegetable pasta

Published 8th November 2017

I love a lighter, vegetable pasta in Springtime and when most of the veggies come from our own garden, it makes it even better!

This dish took about 20 minutes from start to finish, it is very easy, the kids ate it quite well and it is suitable for both warm and cool weather – so versatile. It is a great dish to pack full of vegetables and aim for a 1:1 pasta to veggie ratio, which is good for portion control. If there are leftovers, it also would make a great cold pasta dish the following day.

 
 
Bacon and Spring Vegetable Pasta.jpg
 
 

Our vegetable garden is doing so well this Spring, except for the broad beans. Although, everything is a bit later than usual, so we are keen to make some room for the Summer veggies, which means eating everything up, and when everything is ready all at once, this dish was an absolute winner! The garlic, lemon, broccoli, snow peas and peas were all from the garden, which makes me very happy! One day we will have asparagus again as well and I will most definitely add that when we do!

Enjoy xx

 
 
 
Bacon and Spring Vegetable Pasta 1.jpg
 
Bacon and Spring Vegetable Pasta.jpg

 

Ingredients:

Serves 4

  • 3 rashers bacon, fat removed, diced

  • 1/2 red onion, sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1/3 cup dry white wine

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

  • 1 small head of broccoli, cut into small florets

  • 2-3 large cauliflower florets, cut into small florets

  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into strips

  • 3/4 cup de-shelled fresh peas

  • 15-20 snow peas

  • 6-8 spears of asparagus, cut into thirds

  • 2 1/2 cups raw pasta – shells or bows work well

  • 1.5 cups rocket leaves

  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Method:

  1. Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook until al dente. Once cooked, drain and place into large bowl, reserving 1/3 cup cooking water.

  2. Heat a medium frypan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add onion, lemon zest and garlic and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

  3. Add the zucchini and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli, cauliflower and white wine and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is almost tender.

  4. Add the peas, asparagus and snow peas and cook for ~2 minutes or until they turn bright green. Remove from the heat and add to the pasta, along with the rocket, reserved cooking liquid, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Mix well and divide between serving bowls.