This is a super easy and delicious pasta to throw together for any supper or lunch. This dish features crispy bacon and peas combined with a creamy garlic parmesan sauce and al dente pasta, topped off with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and parsley.
Info and tips
I like to cook the garlic in some of the bacon grease instead of butter or oil in this case. This will add more smoky flavour to the sauce! Garlic burns quickly so make sure your bacon grease is not to hot before adding the garlic in (burned garlic doesn’t taste very good in my opinion).
Cook your pasta in salted water until al dente and immediately drain, making sure to reserve some pasta water in case the sauce needs thinning.
This simple dish can be taken to the next level with the addition of toppings like lemon zest, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, and more parmesan, so don’t skip out on these (plus it looks super pretty)!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cooked bacon (I used about half a pack)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- red pepper flakes (a good pinch)
- 1/2 cup parmesan (or to your heart’s desire)
- 1/2 cup peas
- 4 cups shells
- lemon zest (for topping)
- fresh parsley (for topping)
Instructions
- Begin by mincing your garlic and slicing your bacon into small pieces. Preheat a pot with salted water.
- Once water is boiling add pasta, remove once al dente (reserve some pasta water).
- Add the bacon to a pan on medium heat and cook until crispy (or your preferred level of doneness), remove and set aside.
- Drain most of the bacon grease and discard. Leave enough to cook the garlic in.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes)
- Add in the flour and mix until a paste forms.
- Add in the heavy cream slowly while mixing to avoid clumping.
- Bring to a low simmer and season with red pepper flakes, salt & pepper to taste. Add any other desired seasonings here.
- Off heat add in parmesan and mix well.
- Add in the peas, cooked bacon, pasta, and pasta water if needed. Mix well.
- Serve with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, more parmesan, and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
See below for a video tutorial!
This dish features crispy bacon and peas combined with a creamy garlic parmesan sauce and al dente pasta, topped off with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Begin by mincing your garlic and slicing your bacon into small pieces. Preheat a pot with salted water. Once water is boiling add pasta, remove once al dente (reserve some pasta water). Add the bacon to a pan on medium heat and cook until crispy (or your preferred level of doneness), remove and set aside Drain most of the bacon grease and discard. Leave enough to cook the garlic in. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes) Add in the flour and mix until a paste forms. Add in the heavy cream slowly while mixing to avoid clumping. Bring to a low simmer and season with red pepper flakes, salt & pepper to taste. Add any other desired seasonings here. Off heat add in parmesan and mix well. Add in the peas, cooked bacon, pasta, and pasta water if needed. Mix well. Serve with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, more parmesan, and fresh parsley. Enjoy!Bacon & Pea Creamy Pasta
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
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Instructions
