My Favourite Pasta Recipes
Do you sometimes have those days when you don’t want to do anything but you still want to eat a decent meal anyway? Those are the days when pasta comes in handy for me. It’s even easier and faster to cook than rice. Rice takes a little bit longer. This is what I had for dinner tonight. I make it whenever I am in that sluggish mood and anyway my kids love pasta so it’s a win-win situation for all of us.
This recipe is so easy but that’s the whole point of this blog. When I was in my late twenties, I used to cook three course meals. I had so much energy that needed expending and cooking, was the solution. I loved the idea of entrée, main course and dessert. I spent my free time thinking about the next meal and the best dessert. I browsed bookshops and libraries for cookery books and watched every cookery show. Those were the good old days. Back to the recipe: all you need is bacon, peas and pasta. If you don’t like the fatty streaky bacon try the Canadian peameal bacon. It has no fat whatsoever but still tastes good. I wish you a very happy and fulfilling week
- Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) Penne or Farfalle or Conchiglie
- 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- 30g (2 tablespoons) butter
- 1 large onion chopped (1½ cups when chopped)
- 150g (5½ oz) bacon (6 slices streaky bacon)
- 3 cups (450g, 1Ib) shelled fresh or frozen peas
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½-1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
Please always remember to assemble all ingredients before you start
Heat oil and butter in a pan over medium heat and cook bacon until brown.
Add onions, reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. (do not brown).
Add peas, season with salt and pepper and cook gently. Meanwhile cook pasta for half the cooking time stated on the packet. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Add Pasta to the pea mixture with 4 tablespoons of the reserved water. Cover and cook until al dente. Remove from heat, stir in half the cheese, adjust seasoning and serve with remaining grated cheese on the side.
Enjoy…
We enjoyed eating and hope you do too!
Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Preparation Time: 15 minutes; Cooking Time: 20 minutes; Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) Penne or Farfalle or Conchiglie
- 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- 30g (2 tablespoons) butter
- 1 large onion chopped (1½ cups when chopped)
- 150g (5½ oz) bacon (6 slices streaky bacon)
- 3 cups (450g, 1Ib) shelled fresh or frozen peas
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½-1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a pan over medium heat and cook bacon until brown. Add onions, reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. (do not brown).
- Add peas, season with salt and pepper and cook gently.
- Meanwhile cook pasta for half the cooking time stated on the packet. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Add Pasta to the pea mixture with 4 tablespoons of the reserved water. Cover and cook until al dente.
- Remove from heat, stir in half the cheese, adjust seasoning and serve with remaining grated cheese on the side. Enjoy…
myfavouritepastime.com
My Favourite Pastime 
A little difference in the technique here, half-cooking the pasta then finishing with the veg — have to give that a try.
Oh yeah you end up with Pasta-al dente…you should give it a try.
Liz
Yum, one of my favourite combinations for a guilty pleasure – I tend to throw in some fried mushrooms as well 🙂
Hi Afra
An excellent idea. My son loves mushrooms so maybe next time I shall throw some and let him enjoy. Have a pleasant week!
Liz
Anything with bacon will surely be delicious! Hooray for fatty streaky bacon! 🙂 We love your picture with the bacon being fried. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ha ha streaky bacon is lovely in the mouth but bad for the waistline, but i still eat it. No wonder I don’t have a waistline anymore! Have a great weekend!
Liz
Pasta with peas and the salty prosciutto – yum! I hear you Liz about the way you use to cook and how you cook now. I can remember my entire journey and it has been a long but good one – I just like to cook, eat and share with others like you do. Have a great week 🙂
Thanks aunt Juju. Cooking is such a pleasure for me. I wonder what I would do without It! This week is so great, good weather with lots of fresh air. Enjoy the week!
Liz
delicious!
Thank you! Liz
So simple and tasty. Lovely.
Thank you. You dinners are so very interesting!
Liz
This looks really tasty, it reminds me a little of spaghetti carbonara. I like that it has everything in there – protein, carbs, veggies.
Oh yes I love thinking protein, carbs veggies and these days I’m trying to eat more veggies and fruits. Thanks and have a pleasant week!
Liz
This looks wonderful – and best of all, the ingredients are those we typically have on hand anyway. Thanks. We’ll be adding it to a menu plan soon.
Thank you. I just love simple cooking with day to day ingredients. I’m glad you think so too! Thanks for visiting my blog and best wishes !
Liz
I’m in total agreement with your kids–I could eat pasta every night. And I love that you’re blogging the manageable recipes, not the 3-course meals!
Ha ha you’ve cracked me up…I can’t remember when I last had a three course meal. These days it’s more of two course, the main course and the dessert. That reminds me I should start posting some Entrées. I’ve been meaning to do it….have a lovely week!
Two words–post desserts!!!!!!! 🙂
I hear you, desserts it shall be! Enjoy your day!
Liz
Yumyumiii 🙂
This definitely is super simple, and similar to something I already make. I just need to add the peas. 🙂
Ha ha Lignum what is this you make? Pasta and bacon? It would be nice to pop in some greens in there. Enjoy your evening!
Liz
Great choise this kind of pasta. Peas go inside and each bite is complete! In my version I use “prosciutto cotto” (ham?) instead of bacon.
Mmmm I love these little shells. They are like boats carrying green luggage or some green fairy tale people. I’m glad you notice that too! Have a fantastic week!
Liz
I love your recipes, this one looks awesome!
Thank you. Enjoy the week!
liz
NICE! I could go for this, in fact I think I will. I really love to have a few good easy to prepare recipes handy just for those sluggish days. I just need to say….it’s the fatty, Canadian bacon all the way. The flavor!! The salty, sweet, golden taste. LOL. Your camera captured all the colours beautifully, please send the scent! How is your week ahead looking? Are you having good weather too?
Everyday is a sluggish day for me (LOL). I used the fatty streaky bacon. Of course fat always tastes good…it’s the guilt afterwards that bothers me. I hope you received the scent in a envelope…ha ha. I saw a show where they simulate cooking electronically and even produce the smell electronically. The weather here is perfect…no complaints. Enjoy the week!
Liz
Great photo- looks mouth-watering!! 🙂
Thank you! Enjoy the week!
Liz
You read my mind! Exactly what we are having for dinner this evening!
Ha ha so many people seem to be having peas and bacon for dinner, How interesting. My other friend had peas and bacon with rice. I wish you a fantastic week!
Liz
One of my favorite pasta dishes too! So simple and easy but full of flavor. Too bad we didn’t plant any peas in the garden! Enjoy your upcoming week.
Oh boy I love peas. so easy to cook and so tasty to eat. Have a wonderful week! Best wishes!
Liz
One of my favorite all-time pasta dishes. So simple, fresh, and satisfying. I use prosciutto to make it that much faster to cook, but your sauce looks much thicker than mine. I will give the thicker bacon a try next time!
Hi Ngan,
I love prosciutto too. You just need to dig deeper into the pocket. Does the sauce look thicker? I just know I love this pasta dish so much. It’s always a pleasure to make. I wish you a happy week!
Liz