- A 200g bag of chifferini pasta
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- A 200g pack of unsmoked lardons
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 chilli
- A 100g chunk of cheddar
- A 75g bag of sweet salad mix
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Pan with a lid
- Colander
- Deep frying pan or wok
- Small bowl
- Ovenproof dish
- 1.
Fill a medium pan with hot water and season well with salt. Bring to the boil and tip in the pasta. Simmer for 8 mins till tender but still with some bite. Drain well.
- 2.
While the pasta cooks, peel and finely chop the onion. Halve the pepper. Scoop out the white bits. Finely chop it.Warm a deep frying pan or wok for 1 min. Add the lardons. Fry and stir for 5 mins till golden and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a small bowl.
- 3.
Add ½ tbsp olive oil to the pan if you think it needs it (plenty of fat should've run off the lardons). Add the onion and pepper. Season. Cook over a medium heat for 5 mins, tirring now and then, till softened.
- 4.
Finely chop the garlic and chilli. Dice the tomatoes. Add all three to the pan with 1 tsp each smoked paprika and cumin seeds. Season with a pinch of black pepper.
- 5.
Return the lardons to pan and give everything a good stir. Partly cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes, till the tomatoes break down and it makes a thick, rustic sauce.
- 6.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and fold together, so that each piece of pasta is coated in the sauce. Pour the mixture into a snug ovenproof dish.
- 7.
Heat your grill to medium high.Grate the Cheddar. Scatter over the top of the pasta. Grill for 4-5 mins till the cheese is gooey and melted. Spoon the pasta into bowls and serve with the sweet salad on the side.
- Tip
Up in smoke
The smoked paprika gives this dish a subtle warmth. Try adding it to tomato sauces for pastas and pizzas, or mash into butter then use it to top jacket potatoes or steaks.