Red pesto pasta

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time:
30 minutes

Ingredients
75g pine nuts
95g pancetta rashers (or prosciutto)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
400g rigatoni pasta
200g chicken, fairly thinly sliced
190g red pesto *
125g mascarpone
½ stock pot
Parmesan
Salt
Pepper 

* If your jar is only 165g don’t worry, it should be enough

Method
Start by toasting your pine nuts in a dry frying pan for 3-5 minutes, tossing to stop them burning. Put into a bowl to one side.

In the same pan, add the pancetta and cook until golden and crispy - about 2 minutes in total.  Put to one side on kitchen towel.

Put on a large pot of heavily salted water for the pasta and when boiling, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, put a tbsp of olive oil into the pan you cooked the bacon in and cook the onions for 5-7 minutes over a medium heat until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for a further minute or so.  Remove the onions and garlic to a bowl to one side.

Put another tbsp of olive oil into the pan and put the chicken into a frying pan with a little salt and black pepper.  Cook for around 5-7 minutes, stirring from time to time until going golden and cooked through.

When the chicken is ready, add the onions and garlic back to the pot along with the stock pot, mascarpone and pesto and stir until fully mixed together then heat through.  Start by adding 100ml of pasta water and stir through.  If it needs to be a little more saucy, add a little more, don’t add too much. 

While the sauce heats, cut your pancetta into pieces.

Drain your pasta and add to the sauce along with ¾ of the pancetta and pine nuts.  Generously season with the Parmesan and black pepper and give everything a good stir.  Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary, it may need some salt.. Scatter over the remaining pancetta and pine nuts and serve.