Creamy Sweetcorn Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 150g (5oz) sweetcorn, fresh, tinned or frozen
  • 200ml (7fl oz) stock
  • 3 tbsp ground almonds
  • 2 portions of gluten-free pasta
  • 1 leek, mainly white stem, thinly sliced
  • 2 handfuls of frozen peas
  • 3 slices of bacon, diced
  • 4 large chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • pinch chilli powder (optional)
  • little pasta cooking water
  • salt and pepper
  • chopped parsley to garnish

It is lovely to have a creamy sauce with pasta but that isn’t always easy when you are dairy-free. In this recipe the sweetcorn and ground almonds form a rich creamy sauce which holds the pasta together.

  1. Process the sweetcorn, stock and ground almonds until smooth and creamy.
  2. Cook the pasta in lots of boiling water according to the instructions on the packet, adding the leek to cook in the same water for 5 minutes and the peas for the last 2 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a hot pan until it starts to brown, adding the mushrooms, garlic and chilli part way through cooking, along with a little oil if there is insufficient in the pan from the bacon.  Cook until the mushrooms start to soften.
  4. Drain the pasta and vegetables and return to the pan along with the sweetcorn sauce.  Heat through, add the bacon and mushrooms and a little pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with parsley.