Quick Bacon & Creamy Tomato Orecchiette
with Garlic Pangrattato & Pear Salad
- Gluten
- Wheat
- Milk
- Eggs
- Soy
- May contain traces of allergens
- Milk
'Pangrattato' is Italian for breadcrumb and it adds a delicious, traditional crunch when sprinkled over pasta. The orecchiette (meaning 'little ears' in Italian) is the perfect pasta shape for cradling this creamy bacon sauce. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 packet
orecchiette
(Contains: Gluten, Wheat May be present: Eggs, Soy)
3 clove
garlic
½ packet
panko breadcrumbs
(Contains: Gluten, Wheat May be present: Soy)
1 packet
diced bacon
(May be present: Soy, Milk)
1 packet
tomato paste
1 sachet
garlic & herb seasoning
1 sachet
chicken-style stock powder
1 packet
light cooking cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 bag
baby spinach leaves
1
pear
1 packet
Parmesan cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1
olive oil
1 drizzle
balsamic vinegar
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Boil the kettle. Fill a medium saucepan with boiling water over high heat, then add a pinch of salt. • Cook orecchiette in boiling water until ‘al dente’, 8 minutes. Reserve some pasta water (1/4 cup for 2 people / 1/2 cup for 4 people). Drain and return to the pan.
• Meanwhile, finely chop garlic. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Cook panko breadcrumbs (see ingredients), stirring, until golden brown, 3 minutes. Add 1/2 the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste.
Little cooks: Help stir the ingredients! Be careful it is hot!
• Return the frying pan to medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook diced bacon, breaking up bacon with a spoon, until golden, 3-5 minutes. • Reduce heat to medium, add tomato paste, garlic & herb seasoning and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. • Add chicken-style stock powder, light cooking cream, shaved Parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water and simmer, stirring, until slightly reduced, 1-2 minutes. • Add orecchiette and 1/2 the baby spinach leaves. Gently toss to combine.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice pear into wedges. In a medium bowl, combine the pear, the remaining spinach and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste. • Divide creamy tomato bacon and orecchiette between bowls. • Top with garlic pangrattato. • Serve with pear salad. Enjoy!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on July 2026- Flavour: The creamy tomato bacon sauce is a clear crowd-pleaser, though some found it mild or overly salty — reducing the stock powder and garlic seasoning can help balance the flavour.
- Ease of prep: Most found this a quick and straightforward weeknight cook, though a few noted the simultaneous steps made it tricky to pace.
- Suggestions: Several reviewers added diced chicken thighs to bulk up the protein, and a few stirred extra pasta water or a splash of cream into the sauce to prevent it from drying out. Some found the garlic quite strong and suggest using fewer cloves or halving the garlic seasoning.
- Leftovers: This dish reheats well the next day, with several reviewers noting it made great work lunches — adding a small splash of cream when reheating helps revive the sauce.
- Pangrattato: The garlic panko crumb topping was widely loved for adding crunch and texture, though a handful preferred to skip it or use a smaller amount.
- Salad: Opinions on the pear or apple salad were mixed — some enjoyed the fresh contrast it brought to the rich pasta, while others folded the spinach straight into the sauce instead.
- Portions: Servings were generous, with many households getting a second meal out of it, though some felt the sauce-to-pasta ratio was a little light.
