Giant Pasta Shells With Pesto, Asparagus and Bacon
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 250 g Conchiglioni Giant pasta shells
- 1 tsp salt for the pasta water
- 125 g pesto homemade or from a jar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150 g bacon cut into strips, or buy ready-made lardons
- 1 bunch asparagus chopped into 2 inch pieces, tough stems removed
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese or Grana Padano, or Pecorino, grated or shaved for topping
Instructions
- In a large pan of salted water, bring the pasta shells up to the boil and simmer for around 12 minutes until "al dente". Drain the pasta and return to the pan - add a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent it sticking.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the bacon lardons whilst the pasta simmers. When these are cooked but not brown yet, add the asparagus pieces and continue to fry.
- When both the pasta, bacon and asparagus are cooked, turn the frying pan heat off. Stir the pesto into the pasta, when the pasta is covered, stir in the bacon and asparagus.
- Serve with a scattering of parmesan cheese shavings.