Pasta with Peas and Bacon.

I went out to dinner with friends the other day, and got a pasta dish with pancetta, mushrooms, and peas. (We don’t have to talk about how it’s one of the last few times I’ll get to see those girls before we move. Waaaah!) I brought some leftovers home and gave them to Jay (an obvious sign of my love for him). We both thought it was a good combo and I decided to try to recreate it at home. I have a thing with pasta dishes where I like a very high ratio of “stuff” to pasta, so my version has way more of the bacon/peas/mushrooms than my restaurant meal did!

I was making this up as I went along the first time, but I made it again so I could check the times and quantities. If you don’t like mushrooms (I used to be a hater myself), I think asparagus would be a good alternative!

Start by heating a big pot of water on the stove (don’t forget to add the pasta once the water boils), and then chop and cook the bacon until it’s crispy. Set the bacon crumbles aside, and drain off some of the grease. Start cooking the mushrooms with a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Add garlic, then frozen peas, and splashes of white wine and cream for the sauce. Mm, and parmesan cheese! When you drain the pasta, reserve a little cooking water to add to the pan when you toss the noodles and veggies and sauce together.

I like the bacon to stay really crispy, so I added it to the bowls at the end with another sprinkle of cheese. This dinner was so different from anything I make regularly (I’m a red sauce girl most of the time), and we loved it! The sauce is super light (don’t expect it to be like an alfredo) and there are plenty of veggies for each bite. It’s easy to make but seems sophisticated and restaurant-y – perfect for a night in!

Pasta with Peas and Bacon.

• Author: Bet Denton
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 large or 3 smaller servings

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Ingredients

• 5-6 oz fettucine or linguine (I use whole wheat)
• 3 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced (if you have thinner bacon, use 4 slices)
• 8-10 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup white wine (or sherry)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• about 1/4 cup reserved cooking water (from cooking the pasta)

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Instructions

1. Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it boils, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, RESERVING SOME OF THE COOKING WATER, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off some of the bacon grease if needed, leaving a couple of tablespoons in the pan.
3. Add mushrooms and a big sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, until they are starting to brown. (If the bacon drippings are getting too brown before the mushrooms cook, I add a tablespoon or 2 of water to the pan to scrape up the browned bits at the beginning of this cook time! As they cook, the mushrooms will release some moisture and you can scrape up the browned bits, but add water if they start to burn or get too dark before this happens.)
4. Add garlic and cook and stir, 1-2 minutes. Add frozen peas and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are mostly thawed and turning bright green, 3 minutes. Add white wine and reduce heat, simmering and scraping the bottom of the pan, 2 minutes.
5. Add cream and parmesan cheese and heat over low, 1-2 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add cooked and drained pasta and toss, adding about 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water (a couple of tablespoons at a time) to help the sauce coat the pasta. Serve with crumbled bacon pieces and additional parmesan cheese!

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Notes

If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you can substitute another vegetable, such as asparagus. To make it meatless, skip the bacon and cook the vegetables with butter or olive oil. To add more protein, throw on leftover grilled chicken at the end.