Pasta With Peas And Bacon Food

CREAMY PASTA WITH SMOKED BACON AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted to a boil. Meanwhile, cut sliced bacon crosswise into thin slivers, or slice pancetta into julienne. Add pasta to boiling water and cook to taste.
• While pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Add bacon or pancetta and a sprinkling of pepper, and fry until golden and crisp. Immediately add frozen peas and stir for a minute or two. Add crème fraîche or heavy cream and chopped mint.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the skillet and stir. Add lemon juice, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. The mixture should be thick; if desired, a splash of the pasta water may be added to the sauce to thin it slightly. Add Parmesan and stir to mix. If desired, serve with a green salad.

MINI SHELL PASTA WITH A CREAMY SMOKED BACON & PEA SAUCE

Steps:

• Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Finely grate the Parmesan. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the stock cube (if using). Stir until it's dissolved, then add the mini shells and cook according to the packet instructions. Get a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil. Add the bacon to the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp.
• Meanwhile, finely chop your mint leaves. As soon as the bacon is golden, add your frozen peas and give the pan a good shake. After a minute or so, add the crème fraîche and chopped mint to the bacon and peas. Drain the pasta in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water.
• Add the pasta to the frying pan. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta. When it's all bubbling away nicely, remove from the heat. The sauce should be creamy and delicious but if it's too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit. Add the grated Parmesan and give the pan a shake to mix it in.
• Divide your pasta between plates or bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves. Lovely with a simply dressed green salad.

BOWTIE PASTA AND PEAS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Cook the bacon and chop; set aside.
• In a large pot add two big pinches of salt to boiling water for pasta.
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
• When pasta is just about ready, in the pan you cooked bacon in add oil and heat over medium heat, sauté the onion until soft, but not browned, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• Stir in one cup of the pasta water and the parsley, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and half and half; bring to a boil.
• Add the peas, reduce heat and simmer just until the peas are warmed through.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Add pasta and toss together, top with bacon and parmesan cheese.
• Add the remaining pasta water only as needed for moisture.

PASTA WITH BACON AND PEAS

Steps:

• Place ricotta, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper in a large bowl. set aside. Fry bacon in skillet til crisp. Transfer bacon to paper plate to drain, crumbling once cooled. Reserve pan and bacon grease.
• To the bacon pan, add onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Transfer onion mixture to cheese mixture.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water. When it is just 1 minute till done, add peas to water.
• Reserving 1 cup of pasta/pea water, drain pasta and peas. Add half of the pasta water to the cheese mixture along with the lemon juice and mix till smooth.
• Add pasta and peas to the cheese mixture and toss to coat, adding more reserved water as necessary to moisten pasta. Stir in bacon bits, adjust seasoning, and serve.

PASTA WITH BACON, SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND RED WINE

Steps:

• Put on a pot of salted water to boil.
• Heat up a large skillet over medium. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Add chopped bacon and stir. Let bacon cook about 5 minutes until it starts to brown and bacon grease gets released into pan.
• Add shallots, garlic, pinch of red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir and cook until shallots and garlic begin to brown, about 2 more minutes.
• Add first 2 tbsp of red wine and carefully scrap down the pan to make sure all the little bits are being picked up. Let cook 2-3 minutes and repeat, adding another 1/4 tsp of black pepper.
• Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling water and cook per instructions. Add sugar snap peas 1 min, 15 seconds before pasta cooking time is up. (This will make them tender crisp. Change cooking time if you like them more/less tender).
• Repeat the process with the wine until it has all been used, adding additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Once all wine has been added, move heat to low/medium low. Add 1 tbsp red wine.
• Drain pasta/snow peas and add into skillet. If your skillet is not large enough this can be done in a new bowl. Thoroughly combine bacon mixture with pasta, really scrapping the sides of the pan to make sure all the flavors are incorporated.
• Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp fresh parsley. Mix again.
• Serve and enjoy! I usually keep a cup of cheese on the table for people to add more as they see fit.