Conchiglie with pancetta, mushroom, black olives & pesto

A perfect midweek dinner, quick, simple and tasty! Ingredients are fridge and pantry stable and its great with any type of pasta you have at hands. Conchiglie is fantastic with dry or wet pasta sauce. The shell-like shape helps to scope up the delicious sauce. 

I don't weight pasta for portion control, instead I use my hands to measure. Depending on pasta shapes, for conchiglie, penne, fusilli usually 2 handfuls per person. It is always tempting to cook more than needed, just remember pasta expand after cooking so do be cautious. If you must weight them, I would say 100g of dry pasta per person (depending on appetite of course!) 

Serves 2

200g Conchiglie, cooked per packaging
90g pancetta
1 red onion, thinly sliced
150g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
Dozen black pitted olives in brine
1 tbsp basil pesto
Fresh chives, chopped
Sprinkle of finely grated parmareggio

1. Boil the kettle and cook the pasta as per instructions on the packaging.

2. In a frying pan, frying the pancetta in medium heat until brown.

3. Add the onion and cook until it is soften.

4. Now the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to go soft. Be sure not to overcook them or they will release moisture.

5. Drain the pasta and mix in with the pancetta mixture.

6. Add the black olives and turn the heat off.

7. Mix in the pesto thoroughly.

8. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with chives and parmareggio.