BACON BOWLS INSTRUCTIONS RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Finely grate the Parmesan. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the stock cube (if using). Stir until it’s dissolved, then add the mini shells and cook according to the packet instructions. Get a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil. Add the bacon to the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp.
  2. Meanwhile, finely chop your mint leaves. As soon as the bacon is golden, add your frozen peas and give the pan a good shake. After a minute or so, add the crème fraîche and chopped mint to the bacon and peas. Drain the pasta in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water.
  3. Add the pasta to the frying pan. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta. When it’s all bubbling away nicely, remove from the heat. The sauce should be creamy and delicious but if it’s too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit. Add the grated Parmesan and give the pan a shake to mix it in.
  4. Divide your pasta between plates or bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves. Lovely with a simply dressed green salad.

Steps:

• Slice the asparagus into lengths of about 5cm/2in. Half fill a large non-stick frying pan with water and bring to the boil. Add the asparagus, bring back to the boil and cook for a minute until just tender. Drain and rinse under running water until cold, then pat dry.
• Trim any fat off the bacon and cut into 1cm/½in strips. Return the pan to a low heat, add the oil and gently fry the onion and bacon until lightly browned, stirring regularly.
• Add the onion and bacon to the bowl with the asparagus, toss lightly and leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat.
• Lightly oil a 20cm/8in loose-based fluted flan tin that’s about 3.5cm/1½in deep. Pour the rest of the oil into a small bowl.
• Place a sheet of filo pastry in the flan tin, pressing it firmly against the base and sides. Using the tip of a pastry brush, brush the pastry with a little oil then cover with a second pastry sheet at a right angle to the first. Brush with more oil and cover with a third sheet at the same angle to the first. Brush with the oil and cover with a fourth sheet, running in the same direction as the second. Roll and crumple the overhanding pastry back on to the rim of the tin, lifting slightly above it, and brush lightly with the remaining oil. Place the tin on the baking tray.
• Put the cornflour in a non-stick saucepan and stir in 50ml/2fl oz of the milk to make thin paste. Pour over 200ml/7fl oz of the milk and stir well. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
• Cook for a minute over a medium heat, stirring, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
• Season, then remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the milk to cool and loosen the sauce.
• Stir in the beaten eggs until thoroughly combined.
• Scatter half the asparagus, bacon and onion mixture over the base of the pastry case and pour the white sauce gently on top. Scatter the remaining asparagus and bacon mixture on top and press down lightly, then sprinkle evenly with the cheese.
• Bake on the preheated baking tray in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned and crisp and the filling is set.
• Take the flan out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm or cold.