Found originally on some pasta packaging and inspired by the Heart Foundation tick, if my memory serves me right it took me at least a year before I actually made it. Meaning I probably only ever made the recipe once or maximum twice.
Subtle in flavour, it makes for a great easy going meal that is hearty and healthy. To make it a lighter recipe just omit the pork and you have a vegetarian pasta.
Now 14 years on, I dusted off the recipe, made some alterations (with more cooking experience now, I realised there were some serious anomalies in the original recipe) and dished it up to my guests. Since their plates were emptied, I will safely presume that they liked it.
Whilst I would usually serve this with a chardonnay, last night the general consensus was a merlot and they complimented each other quite nicely.
Italian Pork Pasta (Serves 6)
400g pork fillets cut into thin strips
1 small eggplant quartered and thinly sliced
1 tsp oil
1 leek thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tsp chilli sauce (if not feeding kids then try 1.5T instead for a bit more zing)
2T tomato paste and combine with about 4T of water
1 punnet red cherry tomatoes halved
2 bacon rashers thinly sliced
100g Mushrooms sliced
1 tsp dried basil (or 0.25C fresh basil)
500g fettuccine
Parmesan cheese
Method
Prepare all the ingredients.
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| Ingredients ready to be cooked. |
Lightly pan fry eggplant, remove.
Add oil to wok and sauté leek and garlic, add chilli sauce, tomato paste, tomatoes, cook 2-3 minutes. Add bacon, mushrooms and basil and cook a further 2-3 minutes.
Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
Pan fry pork in batches on medium-low heat and add to vegetable sauce.
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| Pork and vegetable sauce cooking in wok. |
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| Finished product. Not bad after all these years. |
