One Pot Pasta With Peas and Bacon

One Pot Pasta With Peas and Bacon

This easy pasta with peas recipe is a delicious and nutritious family meal that's perfect for a weeknight dinner. Made with simple ingredients- peas (fresh or frozen), garlic, and parmesan cheese. Everyone loves this classic Italian recipe.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: Servings

Calories: 536kcal

Author: Deborah Rainford

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) olive oil
7 ounces (200 g) bacon, chopped *optional. If vegetarian, omit the bacon.
1 (1) medium onion, diced
4 cloves (4 cloves) garlic, minced
2 cups (473 ⅙ ml) vegetable broth, *or use chicken broth
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1 pound (500 g) dried spaghetti, *or your favorite pasta
1 cup (200 g) frozen peas
1 (1) lemon, juice only
1 (1) bunch mint, chopped
parmesan , for sering

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions taking care to not overcook the noodles. *Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Heat the oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet. Cook the bacon in the pan over medium heat. Once it's browned and crispy, remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel to remove any excess fat. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan and add in the shallots and garlic. Continue to cook them until they are soft, and fragrant and have just started to turn a golden color.
Pour the broth into the pan and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Once the broth has reduced by ¼ pour in the cream and stir in the peas. Bring the cream to a very gentle simmer. *If using frozen peas, there is no need to defrost them.
Stir the grated parmesan into the sauce and let it melt. Taste and adjust the seasoning before adding a squeeze of lemon and some fresh cracked black pepper.
Once the sauce is at your desired flavor and consistency, add the drained spaghetti to the pan and toss to coat the pasta. Stir in the mint leaves reserving some extra for serving and top with extra parmesan cheese.

Notes

Reserve some pasta water: Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the starchy pasta water to use in the sauce. The starchy water helps to create a creamy, flavorful sauce.
Add the peas towards the end: Add the peas to the pot during the last few minutes of cooking to ensure they remain crisp and sweet.

Nutrition

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