Chicken cacciatore with harissa, bacon & rosemary

Serves 4 Prep 15 mins Cook 35 mins £1.98 a portion 471 kcals, 9g fat, 3g sat. fat, 9g sugar vegetable oil, for frying 4 bacon rashers 4 skinless chicken breasts or 8 skinless

and boneless chicken thighs, chopped bunch spring onions 2 garlic cloves 140g chestnut mushrooms 2 rosemary sprigs 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 100ml madeira, red wine, white wine

or chicken stock 1 tbsp harissa or 3 tbsp tomato purée pinch dried oregano 1 dried bay leaf 300g of your favourite pasta 1-2 tsp caster sugar or a knob of butter small handful thyme, basil or parsley

(optional)

Heat some oil in a large sauté pan on a high heat. Using scissors, snip the bacon into bitesized pieces. Add them to the pan and fry for a few mins until browned, stirring every so often. Meanwhile, season the chicken pieces well.

Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat behind, and drain on kitchen paper. Add the chicken to the pan, reduce heat to medium and cook for 4 mins.

Meanwhile, finely slice the spring onions ( both the green and the white bits), garlic and mushrooms. Run your fingers down the length of the rosemary sprig to separate the leaves, then finely chop these too. Set aside until ready to cook.

The chicken pieces should now be golden brown underneath, so flip them over and cook the other side for about 3 mins.

Once the chicken is golden brown on both sides, turn down the heat to low. Add the mushrooms, garlic and rosemary, along with the tomatoes, madeira (or wine or stock), harissa or tomato purée and oregano, and crumble in the bay leaf. Give everything a good stir, then leave to bubble away for 15-20 mins, stirring from time to time to make sure it doesn't catch on the bottom.

About halfway through the cooking time, add in the reserved bacon and spring onions. Boil a kettle of water and cook the pasta following pack instructions in a large saucepan. Drain the pasta, return to the pan and cover with the lid to keep warm, if necessary.

Check to see if the chicken is cooked – it is ready when the juices run clear. Taste the sauce, adding a little sugar or butter if it is slightly acidic because of the tomatoes. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick, or let it bubble away for a bit if it is too thin.

Divide the pasta between 4 serving bowls or plates, top with the chicken and tomato sauce, and scatter over some fresh thyme, basil or parsley, if you like. Serve and enjoy.