Creamy Bacon, Sweet Pea Pods & Mint Wholewheat Tortiglioni

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your bacon lardons and cook for 5-6 min or until golden and crispy

Once crispy, remove half of the crispy bacon and set it aside until later

Meanwhile, add your pasta to a pot of boiled water with a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for an initial 7-9 min

Slice your sweet pea pods into thirds

Once the pasta has been cooking for 7-9 min (10-12 min for wholewheat), add the sliced sweet pea pods and cook for 2-3 min further or until the pasta is cooked with a slight bite and the peas are tender

Once cooked, drain and reserve a cup of starchy pasta water

Trim, then finely slice your spring onion[s]

Dissolve your chicken stock mix in 150ml [195ml] [250ml] boiled water

Add the sliced spring onion to the bacon pan and cook for 1-2 min or until softened

Add the chicken stock and soft cheese and cook for 2-3 min or until starting to thicken

Season with a generous grind of black pepper – this is your creamy sauce

Meanwhile, chop your mint finely, discard the stalks

Stir the cooked pasta, sweet pea pods, reserved crispy bacon and half of your grated Italian hard cheese (save the rest for later!) through the creamy sauce and give everything a good mix up – this is your creamy bacon & sweet pea pods pasta

Tip: If the sauce is looking a little dry add a splash of the starchy pasta water