Creamy bacon and leek penne

Tags

cream cheese, creme fraiche, leeks, penne

I had actually done it before but hadn’t got round to blogging it.
I found it ready to blog in my to do folder the other day, which is why it’s dated 2013..

This is probably one of my favourite pasta dishes, it’s easy to chuck together and I usually make it when I have a few bits and pieces leftover.

I made it the other night with spinach,  bacon and fusilli, then remembered I had actually done it before but hadn’t got round to blogging it.
I found it ready to blog in my to do folder the other day, which is why it’s dated 2013..
So this is

Creamy bacon and leek penne:

I sweated off the leeks in some butter

added ham, garlic and Philadelphia cream cheese

and gently cooked it to soften the cream cheese

to that I added creme fraiche

and cooked it on low, otherwise it could curdle.

Then added the pasta and a little pasta water

a generous helping of grated parmesan

and put it under the grill..

and it’s as simple as that, and absolutely delicious..

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Gammon Cawl

Tags

broth, cawl, gammon, gammon shank, peas, soda bread, soup, veg

then I left it sitting in it’s stock until the following day because I couldn’t be bothered to do anything with it, I think that probably improved it actually.

If I remember rightly I first saw this recipe for Welsh lamb Cawl on Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday night feast, I can’t recall who they made it for, possibly some Welsh actor, anyway I put it on my to do list and tried to remember to buy some lamb for it, a little while later I’m sure they did it on country file and the woman doing it said that traditionally it wasn’t lamb, but either ham or just vegetables, so when I saw a gammon shank in Morrisons I bought it and thought I’d make it with that.

So this is my version of

Welsh ham cawl:

(cawl meaning soup in Welsh)

I removed the skin and put the shank in water, stuck it in the oven on low for the afternoon and baked the skin to crackling, then I left it sitting in it’s stock until the following day because I couldn’t be bothered to do anything with it, I think that probably improved it actually.

I stripped it from the bone and put it into a casserole with some diced carrot, swede,leek and half a packet of dried peas I found lurking in the back of the cupboard from the pea and ham soup I made ages ago, I soaked them over night first.

I covered it half with the cooking stock and half with cold water and simmered it all afternoon

until it looked like this

I made some rye, spelt and creme fraiche soda bread

and served it with the cawl

I garnished it with the crackling

and some slightly over done parsnip crisps

I have to say, it was totally delicious.

Certainly going to try that again with lamb..