- 150g/5½oz broccoli head, thick stem removed
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 350g/12oz penne
- 300g/10½oz smoked back bacon, cut into small pieces
- 150g/5½oz basil pesto
- 150g/5½oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 25g/1oz pine nuts, to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 25g/1oz Parmesan shavings, to serve
- Cut the broccoli into florets and chop the green stems into small chunks.
- Heat a small frying pan until hot. Add the pine nuts and dry fry over a medium-low heat for a few minutes, until toasted and golden brown.
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, then add the onion and penne. Cook according to the pasta packet instructions, adding the broccoli 3 minutes before the end. Drain the pasta and vegetables, refreshing the broccoli separately in cold water to stop the cooking and to set the colour.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large, dry pan over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown, stirring often. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooked bacon and add the remainder to the pasta.
- Add the pesto, tomatoes and broccoli to the cooked pasta mixture. Season with black pepper and stir.
- Tip into a serving dish, scatter with toasted pine nuts, the reserved bacon and Parmesan and serve.