Ladies, you know how it goes. You slave over a hot stove, you’re trying something different or with a few steps and you’re feeling pretty proud of yourself. And then someone comes to the table and turns their nose up at it. Well that is how last night went when I made donna hay’s BLT spaghetti. The recipe comes from her latest book, Simple Dinnners which I picked up at Big W for $20 (man I love a good buy). The book is really good and we’ve made 3 dinners from it so far in a week. I’d say that’s a good cookbook.
retro daddy comes over to the island, turns his nose up ‘ Oh. I thought you were making a tomato sauce. Oh. it has little tomatoes in it’
me (unimpressed) ‘ do you know what, if you don’t want to eat it then don’t eat it. Simple. Make a salad but the kids don’t eat salad so we’re having spaghetti and I’m trying something new
And then he decides he loves it and comes back for 2nds and 3rds. so there you go. This is really really good and really easy. Not too many ingredients, super tasty, light enough for a summer meal and there were no leftovers. A sign it was a good meal. Now I’ve made mine more kiddy friendly but with basically the same ingredients but easier to serve and eat than Donna’s very fancy (but very lovely) presentation.
donna hay's BLT spaghetti
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Easy and delicious!
Recipe type: Dinners
Serves: 4
What you'll need
- 400g spaghetti
- 4-6 slices bacon (rindless)
- 250g punnet/truss cherry tomatoes
- 250ml light pouring cream
- handful basil leaves, torn
- 1-2 cups of baby rocket and spinach
- ¼ cup parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook your spaghetti.
- While the water is boiling place bacon and tomatoes on baking sheets lined with baking paper and roast for about 15-20 minutes in a 200 degree oven.
- Slice bacon thickly and place into a bowl with tomatoes.
- Drain spaghetti and add cream and parmesan to the saucepan with the spaghetti. Mix well and add in bacon, tomatoes, basil, rocket and spinach and combine. Season well and serve with extra parmesan. So good.
- And have a play around with it too. I added sauteed red onion the next night and it was delicious.
I am on a health kick thing where I aim to eat two handfuls of leafy greens a day, this will be a perfect addition for me and hopefully the kids will eat it too. But I bet Mr H gives the same face!
It does look yummy and easy! I might have to try this one too. I also received that book for Christmas too. Haven’t had a good chance to go through it yet! Thanks for pointing this recipe out.
yum, that looks like it would go quickly here. Think it will be on the menu tomorrow night
Thats sounds delicious – we have fresh tomato’s and basil in the garden – think the boys are going to love it, I hope, because it’s sooo easy.
Thanks for sharing
Jacqueline.
That looks soooo delicious! And super easy, I might make that tomorrow night!
Looks good for dinner tomorrow night. What else have you made from the book? I am thinking I need to maybe buy yet another cookbook. LOL
Yummy except for the cream – don’t get the idea of cream in pasta – just a slug of olive oil would be fab with all those summery flavours!
Sounds like my kind of pasta! I bought this book as a gift for a friend and wished I’d bought one for myself as well!
I received that cookbook for Christmas from my sister – it is very good hey! That recipe looks like one I’ll definitely be trying! Yum!
yum that looks and sounds yummy!!!! little bit different to just the tomato sauce base…might try it out
Story of my life! One loves it, ones hate’s it. I have just discovered a meal though that everyone loves – Taco’s! Sad, but true. Oh well, at least they are eating some salad vegies with it.
Thanks for popping over to like my fb too Corrie. Really appreciate your visit x
This looks fab Corrie. Its set for dinner tomorrow night as I already had the chicken out for Pad Thai.
Now tell me, what did you do to make it more kid friendly? With 2 lil folks under 5, enquiring minds need to know
We have been having a similar pasta dish like that for years (off the Latina Fresh pack) a squeeze of lemon juice in the last minute of cooking is really nice too.
Yum! Will be trying that one when my tomatoes grow bigger in the garden.
I often get the turned up nose, mainly because it’s not the farm staple of chops.
If you want to add a little more protein, add a shredded smoked chicken breast and/or some roasted pine nuts….delicious!
Haha! You sound like a pregnant lady cooking in the kitchen with that reply. Love it Corrie. The meal looks divine! So glad the kids loved it as well. N x
This meal looks great. I wil be trying it this weekend. Thanks. Your husband makes me laugh, he is so a man. My husband will turn his nose up to anything that is different, not mooing, and or has spices in it. After 33 years of marriage I don’t tell him what is in the food and he no longer complains.
I made this the other week but left the lemon in it and my kids all turned their noses up at it. My 7 and 9 year old managed to eat it but my 3 and 1 yo settled for weet bix. I will try it again without the lemon 😉
Perfect! I have an oversupply of little tomatoes in my vege patch at the moment and heaps of spinach as well. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Oh Yum! Bet I could get my kids to eat that too. Sometimes men are funny, Mr8 supposedly doesn’t eat tomatoes or pumpkin, but when I make something with them he usually loves it. Must try this recipe with your added onions. Thanks Corrie
Sounds familiar in this house but until people start contributing to the meals they want to eat they get what I want to eat on their plates and if they don’t like it, TOUGH! There’s bread in the freezer and cheese in the fridge, make a sandwich.
Looks like a lovely meal and perfect for those CRAZY after school busy evenings.
yes i tried this one….fantastic!