Roasted Broccoli & Bacon Conchiglie Bake with Lemon Crème Fraîche

Ingredients

• 300 gr conchiglie or other favourite pasta shape
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped into small bits (the size of rough granola)
• 160 gr free-range bacon lardons
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 400 gr crème fraîche
• 100 gr spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a lemon, juice only
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
• 30 gr Parmesan cheese, grated
• 40 gr panko or fresh, white breadcrumbs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/gas 7
2. Cook the conchiglie in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain.
3. While the pasta is cooking, tip the broccoli, bacon and thyme into a large roasting tin, mix with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes while the pasta cooks.
4. Stir the cooked, drained pasta through the roasted broccolie and bacon, along with another tablespoon of oil, the creme fraiche, spinach, lemon juice and sea salt (if using).
5. Scatter the dish with the Parmesan and breadcrumbs, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, then bake for a further 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crunch. Serve hot.

Notes

• "I like to make this mac & cheese-style dish in a large, shallow roasting tin, so you get the maximum surface area for the crunchy topping. There's broccoli and spinach for added greens and a wonderful savoury note from the bacon. Feel free to use any cheese you have left over in the fridge: blue cheese or cheddar would work well."
• "Make it veggie: Consider substituting the bacon with a jar of sliced artichokes, drained and chopped into slightly smaller bits, and use vegetarian Parmesan."
• Rukmini Iyer, The Quick Roasting Tin, page 62