Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz broccoli head
• thick stem removed
• 1 onion
• roughly chopped
• 350g/12oz penne
• 300g/10½oz smoked back bacon
• cut into small pieces
• 150g/5½oz basil pesto
• 150g/5½oz cherry tomatoes
• halved
• 25g/1oz pine nuts
• to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz Parmesan shavings
• to serve

Directions

• Cut the broccoli into florets and chop the green stems into small chunks.
• Heat a small frying pan until hot. Add the pine nuts and dry fry over a medium-low heat for a few minutes
• until toasted and golden brown.
• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil
• then add the onion and penne. Cook according to the pasta packet instructions
• adding the broccoli 3 minutes before the end. Drain the pasta and vegetables
• refreshing the broccoli separately in cold water to stop the cooking and to set the colour. Set aside the pasta to cool.
• Meanwhile
• fry the bacon in a large
• dry pan over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes
• or until crisp and golden-brown
• stirring often. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooked bacon and add the remainder to the pasta.
• Add the pesto
• tomatoes and broccoli to the cooked pasta mixture. Season with black pepper and stir.
• Tip into a serving dish
• scatter with toasted pine nuts
• the reserved bacon and Parmesan and serve.