May 30, 2010

20 minute pasta....again!


I'd love to tell you I just finished roasting a delicious pork belly and served it with the beautiful Jerusalem artichokes I saw in the fruit shop the other day but, I am really here to serve up yet another delicious, quick and speedy pasta dish.
 Can you eat to much pasta?
I have asked myself this question a few times and my final answer always comes down to- no.
I know no other dish that can be prepared in such a short time, using a variety of fresh ingredients and able to fill ravenous tummies of all ages and sizes in under 15 minutes ( that is when I am feeling super quick!).
With our weeks whizzing by at an alarming rate these days, I know I don't always have time to make the meals I use to. One lesson I have learnt though is to have an array of ingredients on hand, just in case I have a creative urge and time to kill.
This nights meal was one I put together because I was a) craving bacon b) needed to use up the feta I bought for another meal that didn't get used (creative urge was foiled!) and c) randomly bought some fresh thyme because I thought I needed to stop buying basil and coriander for a change.

The beauty of bacon is that is goes with just about everything! There isn't an ingredient that I can think of in my fridge that wouldn't compliment it (besides yogurt of course). So coming up with this combo really wasn't a biggie, I merely pulled out the leftover contents of my fridge and popped the pot of water on to boil.
I guess I'm blogging about this everyday meal just in case someone is stuck in the pasta rut and needed a little inspiration. Next time you reach for that packet of pasta and are wondering what to put with it, dive into the back of your fridge and see what is lurking, you could come up with a taste sensation or your new favourite combo.

Bacon, zucchini and feta pasta
1 tablespoon butter
2 rashers of bacon, thinly sliced
1-2 medium zucchinis, grated
juice and rind of one lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup crumbled feta
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
chili flakes (optional)

While pasta is boiling, heat a medium frying pan on medium heat and add butter. Once melted add bacon and saute for a few minutes.
When bacon in browning add zucchini, salt and pepper and half the lemon juice- once you have squeezed in the juice, place the whole half in with your zucchini and stir to combine.
When zucchini has wilted (about 3-4 minutes) at garlic and thyme.
Drain off pasta but keep about 1/3 cup of pasta water and add to your zucchini and bacon.
Remove lemon half from dish, add pasta, feta and lemon zest.
Stir to combine then serve

4 comments:

Bryan said...

I am of the "Bacon makes everything" better philosophy too (yes even veggie burgers; how anyone chokes down the ones bought in stores is beyond me).

This maybe the recipe I copy from you ;~) Not to ask a dumb American question what is a "Rasher of bacon"?

Camilla Baker said...

ha,haa a rasher is a piece of bacon
I'm sure you'll kick ass with this one and make it your own, I look forward to reading about it

dinnersanddreams said...

I totally love this pasta dish. The zucchini, lemon, thyme and bacon are not things I typically use in pasta. It looks and sounds mouth-watering.

xo

Nisrine

TKW said...

Bacon is the magic ingredient in a lot of my dishes! This pasta sounds very fresh and spring-y.