When time is short pasta always makes a quick and satisfying meal. Most of the ingredients for this bacon, mushroom and tomato spaghetti are ones you’re likely to already have in the cupboard and fridge so you don’t even have to make a special shopping trip. Canned tomatoes have so much more flavour than fresh for cooking as they’re picked and canned at their peak of ripeness. The more you pay the sweeter the flavour and thicker the juices are likely to be but even a value can at around 35p makes a great base for a pasta sauce when you’re adding other ingredients such as garlic, pepper, mushrooms and bacon.
Ingredients
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 6 thick cut rashers back bacon, chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 150g mushrooms, sliced
- 1tsp smoked paprika
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 350g spaghetti
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, add the bacon and fry for 2 mins until golden. Add the red pepper, cook for 1 min then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 1 min. Stir in the paprika, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted for 10 mins until just tender. Drain and mix with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Top tip for making Bacon, mushroom and tomato spaghetti
Sliced frozen peppers are much cheaper than fresh and are ideal for adding a handful to pasta sauces and casseroles.
