Mid Week Eat: Quick Quark 'Carbonara'

It’s easy to eat seasonally with a whole lazy Sunday and 6 hours to roast a joint ahead of you. It’s more difficult when you get in from work late and all you want to do is order a pizza. My Mid-Week-Eats recipes are all quick, really easy and made mostly using ingredients you’ll already have in your cupboards. No trailing round various health food shops to source a weird paste anymore.

If you've never heard of Quark, prepare to have your world changed. A favourite in slimming recipes it's a naturally fat free soft cheese that is light and creamy - it's also available in supermarkets (Tesco and Aldi fo sho) for under a pound.This recipe is adapted from one my mum made in her Slimming World days - a perfect mid week eat, you'll be done and washed up in half an hour.Makes 2 portions3 handfuls of pasta (I use wholegrain because, you know, health)Quark (anywhere from 1 spoon to 250g)4 or 5 rashers of baconFrozen peas (I used 3 handfuls because I like peas)1 clove of garlic (optional)Left over broccoli (optional)Chilli flakes

1. Put your pasta on to boil
2. Put a frying pan on the heat and crush a glove of garlic into it with a drop of oil to prevent burning
3. Use scissors to cut your bacon into bitesize pieces and add to the pan
4. Sizzle your bacon and garlic so you get the pan all covered in lovely bacon juices
5. If you're using broccoli, I usually stick it in with the pasta for the last 5 minutes. Drain when done.
6. When your bacon is crispy, take the frying pan off the heat, add your peas and spoon in your Quark - how much you use depends on how thick you like your sauce
7. Slowly and gently heat the Quark - you don't want it to get too hot or it will curdle and separate
8. Add the drained pasta to the pan and mix it all together
9. Sprinkle with chilli flakes - you don't have to if you're a spice-phobe but it adds a little summin' summin'
10. Serve and enjoy