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Penne with Bacon, Ricotta and Basil Sauce

Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 4 low-fat back bacon slices chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions finely Chopped
  • 250 g low-fat ricotta cheese
  • 3 handfuls basil finely chopped, plus extra whole leaves, to garnish
  • 325 g penne
  • 12 cherry tomatoes

Method
 

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. add the bacon, garlic. onion and Spong onion and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. or until cooked. Remove from the heat, stir in the ricotta and chopped basil and heat until smooth
  2. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Just prior to draining the pasta, add about 250 ml (g fl oz./ I cup) of the pasta cooking water to the ricotta mixture to thin the sauce. Add more water if you prefer an even thinner sauce. Season with fresh* ground black pepper.
  3. Drain the pasta and stir the ricotta sauce and tomato halves through the pasta. Garnish with extra basil and serve