Bacon, Mushroom & Pesto Pasta {For Using Up Leftovers}

Bacon, Mushroom & Pesto Pasta is one of those easy and lightening fast pasta dishes which you can tweak to use up whatever you have in the fridge. I tend to do this if I have a little bit of bacon to use up, but a few slices of ham works well too.

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Bacon, Mushroom & Pesto Pasta

• Time:  15 minutes from start to finish

• Serves: 4

• Cost:  80p per serving

• Calories:  592 per serving

Ingredients:

• 400g penne pasta

• 1 large red onion, sliced

• 6 rashes / 200g smoked bacon, chopped, fat removed

• 300g mushrooms, sliced

• 4 heaped teaspoons (approx 50g) green pesto

• Olive oil for frying

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. This should take around 10 - 12 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.

2. Fry the onion and bacon in a splash of oil in a frying pan for around 5 minutes until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 1-2 minutes stirring frequently so they don't become soggy.

3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add the pesto to the pasta and stir well until the pesto coats the pasta evenly. If you find the pasta is sticking together too much, add a splash of olive oil to loosen it. Add the onion, bacon and mushrooms and stir well so they are evenly distributed through the pasta. Serve topped with cheese if you like.