Creamy, smoky and full of Italian-inspired flavour.
HECK! Chicken Italia Chipolatas tossed through pasta with a rich sun-dried tomato and ricotta pesto, crispy streaky bacon, Parmesan, lemon and fresh basil. Big flavour, proper comfort and perfect for an easy midweek dinner.
What You'll Need
- 1 pack HECK! Chicken Italia Chipolatas
- 400g pasta
- 400g sun-dried tomatoes
- 500g ricotta
- 8 rashers streaky bacon
- 100g Parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 100–150ml reserved pasta water
- Salt & black pepper
- Fresh basil, optional
Method
1. Cook the HECK! Chicken Italia Chipolatas following the pack instructions until golden and cooked through. Slice into chunky pieces and set aside.
2. Fry the streaky bacon until crispy, then roughly chop and set aside.
3. Add the ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil and Italian herbs to a blender. Blitz until smooth and creamy.
4. Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions until al dente. Reserve 100–150ml of pasta water before draining.
5. Toss the pasta with the sun-dried tomato and ricotta pesto, adding a splash of pasta water at a time until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
6. Stir through the sliced Chicken Italia Chipolatas, then season with black pepper and a little lemon zest.
7. Finish with crispy bacon, extra Parmesan and fresh basil, if using.
Top Tip
Add the pasta water slowly, it helps loosen the ricotta pesto and turns it into a silky sauce that coats the pasta properly.
Creamy pesto. Crispy bacon. Chicken Italia, pasta-ready.
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