Chicken, bacon and pesto pasta bake

Beat the January blues with this deliciously, comforting pasta bake - a great weekend treat as part of your nutritious, healthy start to 2014.

I love the combination of peas and pesto, it works really well and is a perfect way to incorporate vegetables for those who don't like to eat them on their own, and to make a naughty pasta bake a bit more healthy! You can use chicken breasts for this but I prefer chicken thighs as they are so moist and tender.

Serves 2

- 200-250g pasta (I used bows and penne)

- 2 chicken thighs, chopped

- 4 rashers of bacon, chopped

- 1 large red onion, chopped

- 160g frozen peas

- 1/2 jar of basil pesto

- 150ml double cream

- parmesan

- cheddar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

3. Meanwhile, in some olive oil, fry the chicken thighs until browned, then add the bacon and cook for a few minute before you add the onion. Cook until the onions are softened.

4. When the pasta is five minutes from being done, add the peas to the same pan of boiling water and cook with the pasta. When ready, drain and set aside.

5. Add the pesto and cream to the chicken and bacon mixture and stir until combined. Then add the pasta and peas, a grating of parmesan, and mix together well.

6. Transfer to an oven proof dish then grate some cheddar and a generous amount of parmesan on top.

7. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, removing the foil if you prefer it crispy on top.

Enjoy :)

Spaghetti Carbonara

I was craving creamy pasta so bad the other week that I had to whip up a classic carbonara. It was so delicious it didn't stay on my plate for very long. This dish is right at the top of my favourite comfort foods, and is great for a special occasion if you don't have much time but want something that will impress. Perfect served with some oozing garlic bread.

Serves 2
- 100g pancetta, cubed
- 150g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 200g spaghetti
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 150ml double cream
- pepper
- fresh parmesan, grated

1. Fry the pancetta in olive oil or butter until it starts to crisp, then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until softened.
2. Meanwhile, in salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions (about 10 mins).
3. Mix together the beaten egg and cream in a jug and add as much black pepper as you like. Stir in a generous amount of grated parmesan.
4. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the pancetta and mushrooms.
5. Pour in the egg and cream to the pasta and stir until combined over a low heat for a few minutes.
6. Serve immediately and grate a generous amount of parmesan on top and some more pepper, et voila!

Be sure to follow me on instagram if you like to look at pictures of food and see what I've been eating! 'lottierainbow'

Enjoy :)

Honeycomb cheesecake

If you love cheesecake now, you will love it even more after trying this. It is so delicious! I've wanted to make this for a while since I love the honeycomb cheesecake from Prezzo - and I will definitely be making this time and time again, particularly because it's so quick and easy as well. The biscuit base was a little crumbly, but it didn't detract from the amazing flavour or the creamy, soft texture. I just used Cadbury crunchie bars as the honeycomb but you can use any kind, or make your own. This dessert will definitely impress!

Serves 6-8

- 200g milk chocolate digestive biscuits, finely crushed

- 50g butter

- 150ml double cream

- 50g icing sugar

- drop of vanilla essence

- 200g good quality cream cheese

- 2 Cadbury crunchie bars (or any honeycomb), roughly chopped

1. Grease a circular loose-bottomed tin, or line a normal circular tin with grease proof paper.

2. Melt the butter and mix with the crushed biscuit. Press into the tin until compact and set aside.

3. Whisk the double cream with the icing sugar until thick consistency, and add the vanilla essence. 

4. Beat the cream cheese in a separate bowl then stir into the cream and sugar mixture until combined.

5. Stir in half of the chopped honeycomb/crunchie bar then spread evenly on top of the biscuit base.

6. Sprinkle the remaining honeycomb on top of the cheesecake, then chill in the fridge for an hour or two.

Enjoy :)

Chicken and leek pie

Another brilliant Lisa Faulkner recipe - her chicken and mushroom pie is also amazing, I've posted that recipe before. This is actually called turkey and leek pie in her book as it's meant for leftover turkey but I just used regular chicken breast and cooked that first. I will write her recipe below but if you do want to use chicken then make sure you cook it first, unless it's left over from a roast. This is such a delicious comfort food from the crisp pastry and thick, hearty sauce. There is also so much flavour from the smoked bacon and stock mmmm. Perfect served with creamy mash!

Serves 3
- 75g bacon, cubed
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 750g leeks, sliced
- olive oil & butter
- 400g cooked turkey breast
- 25g plain flour
- 1 pint of chicken stock
- 25ml double cream
- ready rolled puff pastry
- beaten egg or milk

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees / gas mark 5.
2. Dry fry the bacon in a large pan for 3-4 minutes then add the thyme.
3. Add the leeks with the olive oil and butter and cook on a low heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until soft.
4. Add the turkey to the pan then mix in the flour and pour over the stock. Stir and add the cream. Bring to the boil then take off the heat.
5. Using a slotted spoon, put the turkey and leek mixture into a large dish.
6. Return the 'sauce' in the pan to the heat to reduce for a few more minutes until thickened. Pour over the pie filling in the dish.
7. Grease the rim of the pie dish and cut the puff pastry to fit on top. Pinch round the edges to seal then brush with the beaten egg or milk.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy :)

Creamy mustard pappardelle with leek and green beans

This is a bit of a cheat, because I didn't actually make this - my mum did - but we put together our ideas to whip this up as a quick but delicious dinner. As I've mentioned before, I love adding green vegetables like green beans to pasta because it's a yummy way to incorporate the nutrients. Having said that, this meal is not particularly healthy since it has double cream in it... I like how the creamy mustard sauce just coats the pasta rather than being an actual sauce, which shows how not much cream is actually used - it would be too rich with lots of sauce. This is a really delicious meal, and will impress even though it only takes about 15 minutes to make!

Serves 2
- 200g pappardelle pasta
- knob of butter/margarine
- 1/2 leek, chopped
- handful of fine green beans, cut in half
- 100ml double cream
- 2-3 tsp wholegrain mustard
- handful of parmesan, finely grated

1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to packet instructions (about 10-15 minutes)
2. Melt the butter in a pan, and cook the leeks.
3. Add the green beans to the pan with the pasta in when there is about 5 minutes of cooking time left.
4. Drain the pasta and green beans and add to the pan with the leeks, stirring.
5. Pour in the double cream and the mustard and mix together until combined and the pasta is coated in a sauce.
6. Serve with fresh parmesan on top!

Enjoy :)