Ingredients

• 400g penne
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 slices streaky bacon
• 4 teaspoons homemade basil pesto (see below for pesto recipe)
• 100g spinach sliced

For the basil pesto:

• 200g fresh basil leaves
• 120g grated Parmesan cheese
• 120g pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 200ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Prepare the pesto: In a blender, combine basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Blitz until smooth.
2. Toast the pine nuts in the oven at 140°C for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
3. Add the toasted pine nuts to the blender and blitz again.
4. Fold in the grated Parmesan cheese and set aside.
5. Cook the bacon and tomatoes:
6. In a large pan, add your chopped streaky bacon and let it render down naturally.
7. Once the bacon is crispy, add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook.
8. Combine: Add the basil pesto (4 teaspoons) into the pan and stir in your cooked pasta & spinach!