TOP SECRET RECIPE

COMMANDER SYDONIE'S
TOP SECRET FAVE PASTA RECIPE

Okay, so to preface this is going to literally seem like a rip off of the viral feta pasta, BUT I PROMISE YOU MY PASTA CAME FIRST and I have been cooking variations of this FOR YEARZ. I don't have a certificate or the receipts but my boyf, friends and fam can confirm this. 
Pasta is easily my fave food and I could eat that shit everyday of the week and not get sick of it. I'm sure so many of you would agree lol. 
Now this is a dish that can be changed depending on your dietary requirements. I can't claim to be a vego or vegan, however I definitely prefer plant based foods and  don't eat as much meat as other carnivores. This recipe is an easy and tasty enough one that you can cancel out ingredients and it's still gonna be yum!
I'm not going to write too much more here because I know when you read recipes on the internet they always write/blab too much before you can scroll down to the bottom of the recipe and holy shit that pain is REAL!
Anyways, here is my NOT FETA PASTA recipe :). 
*Please also note I am not a food blogger so this is going to be rough as hell. 

SYD'S CHEFS KISS SIGNATURE PASTA

 

Servings: 1, but could probs feed two normal people because I have no limits when it comes to pasta.
Also be sure to read the cooking notes. They are important! 

SHOPPING LIST

- Fettucine or Casarecce pasta*
- 1 x Punnet of Perino Baby Tomatoes* (pieces halved)
- 1/2 a red onion (finely diced)
- 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup Basil (roughly chopped, but not into small pieces)
- 1 lemon (grate the rind of 1/2). 
- 2-3 rashes of streaky bacon* (finely chopped)
- 40g Soft Goats Cheese*
- Splash of Olive Oil
- 1 tspn brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp of fish sauce******
- Salt and pepps
- Chilli flakes

METHOD

Okay where the heck do I even start...
1. Chop your shit... I mean ingredients 😇. Just get it all prepared straight up so cooking it up its easy and I don't have to walk you through everything. 
2. Start to heat up your pan to medium high and throw in your bacon when it gets warm. Cook 3-5 mins and depending on how much oil is left in the pan, just scoop some out. 
3. Throw in your garlic and onions into the bacon and reduce to a medium heat. Constantly stir until they soften and become aromatic. Probs about 5-7 mins. 
4. While the other stuff cooks, start to heat up your pasta water and salt that mf up like it's the ocean! Slowly bring to a boil while you work on the other stuff. 
5. Add your tomatoes! Also add in some salt and pepps to preferred taste. Remember to go easy because you can always add more later, but you can't take it out once it's in! Once you can hear the tomatoes sizzle, reduce to a medium/low heat and cover with a lid for 7 minutes, or until tomatoes are juicing in the pain. 
6. Add your lemon rind (+ opt.lemon juice), brown sugar, fish sauce and your preferred amount of chilli.
7. Take 1 cup (or more, to be safe) of pasta water out of the saucepan when the pasta is nearly finished cooking. Guard it with your life because it is SO easy to discard.
8. Add 1/2 cup pasta water to your sauce. Also add your goats cheese/cheese/ or no cheese. Stir plz. 
9. When pasta is done, transfer the pasta directly into the sauce. You can drain it first if you like. It doesn't bother me. However you wanna do it!
10. Stir all of that deliciousness together with a splash of olive oil, and be sure to add your basil and last bit of pasta water while you're at it! Be sure to taste in case you need any extra seasoning or spice :). 
THAT'S IT! Enjoy :)

IMPORTANT NOTES

Goats Cheese/Dairy - Can be subbed for feta if you want! Make sure its Danish feta though, just because it'll melt and mix much better than the weird crumbly stuff. You also also don't really need cheese if dairy isn't your thang! 
Also use however much cheese you want. I probably use 40g, but I usually go by taste at the end. So ad a little bit and continue adding until desired taste. 

Tomato - You can literally use whatever tomatoes you have/want. I just have a preference for cherry/baby type tomatoes :). Just make sure the cherry tomatoes are halved, and if a full tomato make sure it's diced. 

Bacon - You absolutely don't need this ingredient but sometimes I feel like bacon so I add it in. Also, use as much bacon as you think is right. Every grocer sells streaky bacon differently. If it's a double rash, maybe only 1 piece. If single rashes, maybe 3pcs. Just do what you feel. 

Basil- Basil is the hero of this dish. Use as much as you like. 

Chilli flakes - I have a freakishly high chilli tolerance. I am chilli freak to my friends, family and anyone who has seen me with chilli will know I am the chilli QUEEN. As a result I will not give a measurement, so use at your own will. 
Pasta - These are my holy grail pasta types. I prefer casarecce over fettuccine but both work amazingly with this dish. 
Also, cook however much pasta you want. I'm not your mum. 
Fish sauce - DON'T @ ME! I KNOW THIS IS SO SO SO EFFING WEIRD! Seriously the most bizarre ingredient for pasta but someone shared this secret with me once and I haven't gone back. It's weirdly tasty, but also only use it if you are GAME! I am not forcing anyone to use it, but I am sharing a literal TOP SECRET ingredient of mine. If you're a vegan/vego, obviously you can leave this out :). 

Lemon - You can add some juice if you like. No rules here. I also use a bit more rind depending on how lemon-y I want it that day.