Creamy bacon, mushroom and leek linguine

SERVES 2

Ingredients

● 90g British dry cured smoked streaky bacon

● 80g chestnut mushrooms

● 1 leek

● 190g linguine

● Knob of butter

● 3 garlic cloves

● 5.5g chicken stock mix

● 100g creme fraiche

● 40g cheddar cheese

● 5g chives

z Salt, to taste

z Pepper, to taste

METHOD

1. Boil a kettle and chop the smoked streaky bacon roughly.

2. Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a medium to high heat. Once hot, add the chopped bacon and cook for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Once done, transfer to kitchen paper and reserve the pan.

3. Slice the chestnut mushrooms finely and wash the leek carefully to remove any grit from between the leaves, then top, tail and slice finely. Peel and slice the garlic. Return the pan to a medium heat and once hot, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 2-3 mins, or until beginning to soften.

4. While the mushrooms cook, add the linguine to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the linguine for 8-10 mins or until cooked with a slight bite. Once done, drain the linguine, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water.

5. Once the mushrooms are beginning to soften, add a large knob of butter to the pan with the chopped leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-7 mins or until everything’s softened. Meanwhile, dissolve the chicken stock mix in 150ml boiled water. Once the vegetables have softened, add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook for an additional minute.

6. Add the chicken stock with the creme fraiche and a generous grind of black pepper. Cook for 2-3 mins further or until thickened to make your sauce.

7. Grate the cheddar cheese and chop the chives finely.

8. Add the drained linguine to the creamy mushroom and leek sauce with a small splash of starchy pasta water and stir it all together.

9. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed and cook for 1-2 mins further or until the sauce begins to stick to the pasta to complete the dish.

10. Serve the creamy mushroom and leek linguine topped with the grated cheese, crispy bacon and chopped chives. Season with a good grind of black pepper.