Cook with Ginger: A Simple Penne Amatriciana

This has been one of my favourite pasta dishes for years. I don't know the full and proper recipe, but decided to cook it this week when my friend Sarah came to tea. 

Here is the recipe I used. I completely winged it, but it turned out really tasty. 

I cooked about half a bag for our meal, and there were plenty of leftovers that lasted me another two meals!

This dish is really easy and quick to cook. You could add chilli to spice up the sauce, or serve with a salad or garlic bread. It's just a lovely little comfort food-y dish, and I LOVES it.

What you need: 

Frying pan

Saucepan

Penne pasta

Olive oil

2 cans chopped tomatoes 

Bacon cubes 

Chopped onion

Ginger (optional)

Basil 

Grated cheese (optional)

Salt & Pepper

1) Boil some water and bring to the boil. Add as much pasta as you think you will need (use hunger as a gauge). Add the pasta, and allow to boil gently while you prepare the rest of the dish.

At the same time, add a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper to a frying pan and put on medium heat. Fry off a chopped onion, and a small piece of ginger, finely chopped. I used frozen ginger, but fresh is much better!

2) Once the onions have browned a little, add the bacon cubes and fry for about 5 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Add the cans of chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. 

3) Once the pasta has cooked, drain, rinse, and leave to steam. Once steamed, add the pasta to the sauce, and mix thoroughly. 

4) Serve your dish. Add a few basil leaves as a garnish, and grated cheese (if you fancy it.) 

5) Enjoy! 

Ginger x