Creamy Pea Pasta w/ Crispy Bacon
A light and creamy pasta sauce that pairs perfectly with fresh peas and crispy bacon. This creamy pea pasta makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
A plate of pasta with peas and bacon, topped with a dollop of mascarpone, lemon zest and black pepper.
Ingredients
450g of pasta (I’m using Bibetti but Ditalini would work well, too)
3 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into smaller ½ inch strips
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, diced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Juice and zest of half a lemon
Mascarpone for serving (optional)
Black pepper
Salt
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. The water should be salty like the ocean!
If using, remove mascarpone from the fridge and let sit at room temperature while you make the pasta.
Add your bacon to a nonstick skillet and set on medium heat. Cook until crispy, about 7-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon strips and set aside in a small bowl.
By now the water should be boiling. Add your pasta and cook until al dente by following package instructions. In the last 4 minutes of the pasta cooking time, drop your peas, bring the water back to a boil, and continue cooking until the peas are bright green and soft and the pasta is al dente.
Meanwhile, back in the nonstick skillet, wipe away the excess bacon fat using a paper towel or clean dishcloth. Add butter and olive oil and let melt on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add shallots and cook until soft. Add bacon and toss to coat. Turn off heat and let the bacon-shallot mix sit on the warm burner.
By now your pasta and peas should be done. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water and drain the rest. Back in the large pot, add pasta, peas, buttery bacon-shallot mix, parmesan, juice of half a lemon (about 2 tbsp) and 1/2 cup pasta water. Mix until glossy, adding more pasta water as you go, if needed.
Plate with mascarpone, fresh black pepper and lemon zest. Serve immediately!