Penne Pasta, Peas, And Bacon - 20 Minutes Dinner

When talking about comfort food, pasta dishes are way up there on the list of food that is not only easy to prepare, but everyone enjoys and craves.

Last-minute dinner? This pasta recipe is your dish and will soon be your go-to dish.

Penne Pasta, Peas, And BaconPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

This quick, easy pasta dish takes as long as it takes to cook the pasta itself. It is a savory combination of sweet green peas with crisp onions and bacon.

The heavy cream binds it all together, blending the flavors well. It is a tremendous savory dish that is perfect for any night of the week or a gathering with friends.

Substitutions and some extra notes

For heavy cream substitutes, mix some cream cheese with whole milk. The heavy cream acts as a binding agent with the richness of the bacon and peas.

Thus it would be best if you had some robust substitute.

Serve it piping hot and immediately. The longer pasta sits, the softer it gets as the cooking continues.

Meatless dinner?

Omit the bacon. Use olive oil and or butter to sautee the onions.

Add some sliced mushrooms. Rich and the perfect combination of bacon and heavy cream.

Fresh peas? Yes!! Cook them a little bit longer and make sure they are tender.

Can I use cheese with this dish?

Yes, of course, you can.

• Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino cheese will do wonders. I happen to choose not to use some. Please add as much as you like.
• If adding cheese, add it when the cooked penne is poured over the heavy cream, peas, and bacon mixture.
• Grind a few rounds of pepper over the whole dish for a deeper flavor.

Parmigiano Reggiano is my favorite cheese with any Italian dish.

But the French side of me, which adores cheese, likes to play havoc, thus adding pecorino and ricotta Salata to this dish.

Feta cheese can also be a good substitution for ricotta Salata. However, you cannot grate it but need to shave it into small pieces.

When using ricotta Salata, Salata in Italian means salted, do not over season your dish until the last minute after you taste it.

What is ricotta salata?

Fresh milk flavored with a hint of salt and aged thirty days.

Use sausage meat removed from the casing to replace the bacon.

If you want to add some garlic, go light with them. Too much garlic will change the flavor of

Penne Pasta, Peas, And BaconPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

How to make this recipe of pasta and tips

• Have all the ingredients ready before cooking. This dish will be prepared relatively quickly and you do not want to be around the kitchen.
• Use a large skillet to cook the onions and the bacon so that when you pour the pasta over it, you will have more room to coat the pasta without fighting it.
• You do want to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water if you want to have them creamier and do not want to add more heavy cream.
• Use the bacon grease as it will give the best flavor to the onions when cooking together.
• I prefer to use yellow onions as they give out a rich flavor. White onions and shallots will work beautifully too.
• Add the frozen peas to the cooking water halfway through the cooking process of the penne.
• I used penne. However, conchiglie or orecchiette will do, also. You need a tubular or a cup type of pasta so the sauce gets into the crevices and you enjoy it more.
• Always salt the water to boil your pasta in it. This will give your pasta that wonderful flavor instead of biting into a piece of salt when added after cooking.

Penne Pasta, Peas, and BaconPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

Ingredients to make Penne Pasta, Peas, and Bacon

My  Penne Pasta, Peas And Bacon is published on GiangisKitchen.com

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 diced tiny yellow onion
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6 thick slices cut into small slices of bacon
• 3/4 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Halfway through cooking the pasta, refer to the package cooking instructions and add the frozen peas to the water.
2. Meanwhile, add olive oil over medium-high in a large skillet and the finely diced onions and the bacon. Cook until the bacon and onions are crisp but not burned. 
3. Drain the pasta and peas and add them to the onion-bacon mixture. Lower the heat to medium and add the heavy cream.
4. Stir well, add more cream if needed, and serve immediately.

Serve it in a large pasta bowl, as I have pictured here, or pour it immediately into large pasta bowls.

Let your guests add the amount of cheese they want over it.

If you enjoy this dish, check out these flavorful recipes:

Mascarpone Tortellini

Macaroni and Cheese Stovetop

Cacio e Pepe Bucatini

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Meet Chef Giangi

Penne Pasta, Peas, And BaconPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

I am a passionate cook, recipe developer, author, and food photographer with 14 years of food blogging experience. Inspired by my French and Italian heritage, I work with other chefs, both foreign and domestic, and have had countless discussions with chefs at famous restaurants globally. I enjoy sharing these creative culinary delights in simple, straightforward, easy-to-understand recipes.