I've always given Ah Bong's signature Birthday pasta a pass as there was always a newer, more exciting offering on the menu. But when my tongue made first contact with the orecchiette that was coated in that redolent roasted broccoli pesto, I regretted not giving this a go much, much earlier.

The roasted broccoli pesto is earthy, hearty and bursting with fantastic flavor. It's not quite as saucy as it could be, but the thick pesto coated every orecchiette shell snugly. It's a little disappointing that there weren't any florets of broccoli in the pasta to bring a little contrast in texture and inject a little freshness into the dish, but it's hard to be overly critical when there's a generous portion of stellar, savory black pig bacon to bring more flavor to the table.

Top that off with a generous grating of Parmesan cheese and you've got a pasta worthy of any birthday boy/girl.

#burpplebugisunder15

Always a pleasure to cook and chat to you. Thanks for the feedback!