Zucchini and bacon pasta

This family favourite pasta has an easy creamy sauce made with sour cream and chicken stock powder and only takes 15 minutes of hands-on work to put together. Rapper BARKAA, a Malyangapa, Barkindji woman, who shares this recipe from her Ngamaka (the Barkindji word for mother or mum), who says "my kids love this!".

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Series. Cooking. Rated PG.

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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

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Ingredients

• Salt and black pepper
• 500 g penne
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 500 g bacon, finely chopped
• 1–2 tbsp chicken stock (optional)
• 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 300 g sour cream
• 2 tsp organic chicken stock powder
• Thinly shaved Parmesan cheese, to serve

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne according to the package instructions.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan, then add the bacon, stirring occasionally until golden and crisp. Pour off any excess rendered bacon fat to a small bowl (keep it to cook the zucchini!) then transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess grease. If needed, deglaze the pan with the chicken stock.
3. Return the pan to the heat with the reserved bacon fat and the remaining olive oil. Add the zucchini and cook until softened and golden-brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
4. Return the pan to the heat, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the drained pasta, bacon, zucchini, sour cream and chicken stock powder to the pan. Toss gently to combine, until the stock powder dissolves, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Divide the zucchini and bacon pasta between plates, top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.