Servings
4
Ready In:
20mins
Good For:
Lunch or dinner
Ingredients
- 500g stuffed tortellini (flavour of your choice)
- 80g chopped bacon (I’ve used pancetta for this recipe, but streaky, back or shoulder bacon is good)
- 400g tin of tomatoes
- 300g picked/washed/drained spinach
- 1 onion- coarsely chopped
- 2tsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic
- 100ml water
- 40ml olive oil
- 1tsp paprika
- 1 heaped tsp brown sugar
- 3tsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
- dried chopped chilli to taste
- salt and fresh milled pepper
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Pasta can be described as a simple dish, that’s for sure, but following a few key techniques will produce a vastly superior product.
Finishing to cook pasta in the sauce, leaving to rest before serving, flavour balancing tinned foods, and regular stirring during cooking will all make a massive difference.
Step 2
In a medium sized pot over a high flame, add the olive oil and leave to warm for 1min. Add onion, season, cook for 1min 1min, and then add bacon.
Cook the bacon and onions until lightly browned, this should take 2-3 mins.
Add paprika and tomato puree to pan, stir through and cook for 1min.
Step 3
Add tomatoes, water, sugar and vinegar to the onions. Stir through, add a little seasoning and reduce the heat to low.
Cover with a lid and cook for up to 20mins or until the sauce has reduced by a third. The sauce doesn’t want to be too thick as we’ll finish cooking the sauce with the pasta.
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil with a lid.
Step 4
Have a taste of the sauce and season to taste, add a little chilli now if using.
Once the water has boiled reduce the heat to medium high. Add the tortellini and carefully cook, stirring 2-3 times during cooking. Most filled shop-bought pasta cooks in 5-6mins.
Drain pasta carefully into a colander.
Step 5
Add spinach to the warm sauce first and then pour in the drained pasta. Return the pot to a high heat and cook for 2mins, stirring gently as the sauce reduces. Once you’ve cooked the pasta for 2mins and the sauce isn’t watery but rather thick and coating the pasta, it’s ready.
Leave the pasta to rest for 1min before serving.
Step 6
Empty pasta into a serving dish or spoon onto plates.
Drizzle olive oil, black pepper and dried chilli (if using) over the dish.
One of our favourites in my household.
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