Okay, folks, let's be honest. We all have those days where cooking feels like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops. Today was one of those days for me. But fear not! I conquered the kitchen chaos with a ridiculously easy (and delicious) pasta dish featuring the holy trinity of flavour: bacon, spinach, and Parmesan.
It started with a desperate rummage in the fridge. I spotted some wilting spinach (oops!), a pack of glorious diced ham, and a block of parmesan cheese begging to be grated. Then, it hit me – pasta! The ultimate quick fix.
As Julia Child once said, "People who love to eat are always the best people." And trust me, you'll love to eat this! It's like a warm hug in a bowl. Plus, it's so quick, you'll have more time to binge-watch your favourite show (no judgment here!).
Prep Time: 15mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion chopped
75g diced ham
2 garlic cloves ground, finely grated or puréed
salt and pepper to taste
100g baby spinach well washed and chopped
50g Parmesan cheese freshly and finely grated
200g pasta (I used spaghetti)
75g diced ham
2 garlic cloves ground, finely grated or puréed
salt and pepper to taste
100g baby spinach well washed and chopped
50g Parmesan cheese freshly and finely grated
200g pasta (I used spaghetti)
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat a pan over medium heat. At the same time, fill a large pot with water and salt (use a very, very small pich of salt. The ham adds enough salty flavour here) and bring it to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta.
2. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, onion, pancetta and cook them until the onion goes soft, smells sweet and everything starts to become golden.
3, Add the crushed garlic cloves and stir constantly.If your pasta still needs a bit more time to cook, turn off the heat to wait for it.
4. Once the pasta is very al dente (it will finish cooking in the pan), turn on the pan again and add it to the bacon and onion.
5. Toss the cooked pasta with spinach, Parmesan cheese, and a ladle of the pasta water. The starchy water will help bind the ingredients. Mix well and heat through. Serve immediately, topped with extra parmesan.
FAQs:
Can I use different pasta? Absolutely! Penne, fusilli, spaghetti – whatever floats your boat
Can I use different pasta? Absolutely! Penne, fusilli, spaghetti – whatever floats your boat
What if I don't like spinach? Blasphemy! Just kidding (mostly). You could try kale or even some chopped tomatoes instead.
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Is Parmesan the only cheese I can use? Nope! Asiago or Pecorino Romano would be delicious too. Any cheese is better than no cheese.
Can I add more garlic? Are you even serious? Of course, you can!