Bacon, Pea and Spring Onion Spaghetti

[TomMapfumo]

Time for a new recipe, methinks!

INGREDIENTS - roughly!

Bacon - streaky, finely cut in small strips - 150g.
Spring onions - finely sliced - 2/3 bunches (or Leek or Shallot) 200g.
Peas - 200g.
Garlic - 1/2 Cloves - crushed.
Parsley - 2 tbsps, chopped.
Spaghetti - 300g.
Unsalted Butter - 100g
Ex V. Olive oil

Heat generous amount of oil to large heated saute/deep frying pan.

Add Bacon, Spring Onions and Peas to the pan and cook until bacon crisp and veg soft. Add about 3 tbsps water and cook until water evaporates.

Add crushed Garlic and some chopped Parsley, and more olive oil if any liquid required at this stage. Season with salt/black pepper and cook for 2/3 minutes & set aside

Cook spaghetti until al dente, drain & add to pan and mix well, adding 100g unsalted butter. serve with grated Parmesan, and black pepper.

Enjoy!

 

[Pete Thomas]

This looks really good, I'm gong to try it..

 

[thehunt]

Been meaning to eat some pasta, looks good. Anything with bacon is ok by me.

 

[Luluna]

Sounds delicious! The bacon here is maple cured (of course) and this dish sounds really fresh and easy :welldone

 

[TomMapfumo]

Sounds delicious! The bacon here is maple cured (of course) and this dish sounds really fresh and easy :welldone

It is, and I am

 

[Luluna]

Whoa - I set you up nicely for that! ))

 

[Pee Dee]

Thanks for the belly-ache Tom
No, tried it today, and think the dish is quite nice. Give it 6/10.
Couple of points though, thought the peas didn't fit, would prefer peppers (not the hot ones) and I really wanted to add a can of chopped tomatoes to make it a bit saucier Being cholesterol conscious used lean bacon instead of streaky, and low fat spread instead of butter. Certainly a dish to experiment with.
Now, where's me Gaviscon))

 

[TomMapfumo]

Thanks for the feedback, PeeDee! Sounds like you are better sticking to Arrabiata type sauces.

If you are truly cholesterol conscious you may like to know that statistically people with higher cholesterol live longer than those with lower cholesterol (research done in Canada and the USA) and that the body produces cholesterol in order to heal itself - no other reason (80% of total cholesterol). Hence Low cholesterol is a sign that someone is healthy enough not to need the body to produce much. Artificially lowering cholesterol is NOT a good idea because it is reducing what the body needs/produces for optimum health. In the same way that shortening someone's crutches is not going to heal a broken leg.

It is certainly why people in France (the thinnest people in the West, the lowest heart problems, and longest life expectancy) eat loads of fat and protein [not just olive oil!] but eat 1/6th the sugar intake of the UK. A low fat diet (usually a high carbohydrate diet) is eaten in the countries with the biggest health and weight problems, and is not an indicator of optimum health. Low fat diets often contribute to all sorts of aches and pains, and commonly a less active lifestyle. Carbohydrate + lack of exercise = stored fat, which is why the majority of sportsmen/women eat minimal carbohydrate after 6pm, when they are likely to be more sedentary.

Much of what is accepted wisdom in the UK/US does not stack up - I have a French style of diet (high fat, high protein, low sugar/carbohydrate), and my body consistently produces cholesterol in the 3.2 region.

So, replace the streaky bacon and butter, and become truly cholesterol conscious, before its too late

Kind regards
Tom

 

[Pee Dee]

As far as I know, my cholesterol levels are ok, whatever that is.
My wife produces too much 'bad' cholesterol and is on Statin pills to lower it.
That is why I am "cholesterol conscious".
Your opinions do seem a little controversial, with what authority, or qualifications do you make them?

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi PeeDee!

Don't want to clog the arteries of the Breakfast Room with medical stuff - if you just google in something like "is cholesterol bad for you", or "is there such a thing as bad cholesterol you will find several articles that provide well thought through answers. There is plenty of decent science around about this. In the UK we tend to be very simplistic, and many commonly held views seem to have little basis in fact, but become the norm. My original query resulted from buying "Blanc Vite" by Raymond Blanc (good cook book!), written in consultation with a French Nutritionist. They clearly linked Heart Disease with sugar consumption, not fat consumption, thought that cholesterol was irrelevant, and produced a lot of info to support this view.

In UK we have a high carbohydrate/sugar diet & culture, and this presents a problem - we all need a certain level of fat in our diet; to get that fat in a low fat regime we have to eat more low fat foods to satisfy our bodily needs, and hence consume very high levels of carbohydrate rich substances in order to reach this goal - hence why UK is the fattest country in Europe, and why we try everything possible to try and control our eating habits (diets galore!).

Research wise, much is made of the fact that we have a poor diet/lifestyle on the whole, but then we are advised to adopt a diet that is more of the same - like builders who may eat a fried breakfast, but also have 5/6 sugars in mugs of tea throughout the day - the carbohydrate/sugar side is not often focussed on (low GI diets have been around recently, however).

I won't say any more -just don't think its a "controversial" view internationally (common view in France) - it can only be called that in UK if you make commonly held views the "norm".

Final thing - google THINCS

Have a good day, y'all!

 

[Pee Dee]

Some interesting 'food' for thought, will have to get googling

 

[Pete Thomas]

This looks really good, I'm gong to try it..

Had it last night, cured me of the Swine Flu.

A very tasty recipe and quick to make. Thumbs up from my wife too, which is a big compliment where pasta is concerened.

 

[daveysaxboy]

Going to try this tonite,yum yum.

 

[Sue]

Me too - how did I miss this? Love pasta - cheers:thankyou:

 

[Pete Thomas]

I've had it twice now. One thing that confused me is frying the peas at the beginning, not sure that's necessary. I would just put them in a couple of minutes before the end.

 

[TomMapfumo]

All depends how you like your peas - I saute them to intensify their flavour, but do what you fancy - there are no rules, just preferences ;}!

Kind regards
Tom

 

[biker1941]

Thanks Tom
I have to recomend this one, Done it a few times now with a some mods for variety; like add a red pepper and or well seasoned tomato purree with cream hmmmm! have to go and find some leftovers
Clive

 

[daveysaxboy]

At last i made it.VERY,VERY Nice indeed.Taste's very fresh in your mouth.:welldone

 

[Pete Thomas]

Just thought I'd mention we're having this tonight, one of my son's favourites.