Veg-Packed Tomato Spaghetti With Crispy Bacon

Boil a kettle

Peel and finely dice your brown onion[s]

Top, tail, peel and grate your carrot[s]

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

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

Once crispy, transfer the bacon to kitchen paper and reserve the pan

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and dice

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Dissolve your chicken stock mix and tomato paste in 200ml [260ml] [340ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock

Once the bacon is done, return the reserved pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil

Once hot, add the diced onion and grated carrot with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 min or until starting to soften

Once softened, add the diced pepper and chopped garlic with your dried oregano and cook for a further 3-4 min or until fragrant and softened

While the vegetables are cooking, add your pasta to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the pasta for 7-9 min (10-12 min for wholewheat) or until cooked with a slight bite

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

Once the veg has softened, add the tomato stock to the pan with your chopped tomatoes and a good grind of pepper and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for a further 8-10 min or until starting to thicken

Once thickened, add the drained pasta to the sauce with a splash of starchy water and cook for a final 1-2 min or until fully combined – this is your veg-packed tomato pasta

Add your red wine vinegar to a large bowl with 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] olive oil and a pinch of sugar and mix to combine

Wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Add the salad to the bowl and give everything a good mix up – this is your dressed salad