Salty bacon and sweet peas are such a great combination in this ultra-simple pasta dish. Most of the recipe is made while the pasta is cooking, with just a couple of extra steps at the end to bring it all together. Perfect when you need to get dinner on the table quickly, without faffing around with lots of ingredients!
Nicky’s Recipe Notes
I’ve made this dinner so many times over the last few weeks. It’s a variation of my Sausage and Bacon Pasta and honestly? I could eat it on repeat.
The ingredients are pretty simple – pasta, bacon, peas, cream and cheese plus some extra flavour with onion, garlic and a crumbled stock cube – but the result is something *much* fancier than it has any right to be.
Those salty bacon lardons, the sweet pop of the peas and the creamy garlicky sauce – just heavenly.
I like to use pasta shells because they scoop up little pockets of that tasty sauce.
Why do I love this recipe so much?
- It’s a great midweek dinner. Easy, quick and super satisfying.
- The bacon and sauce is all made while the pasta is cooking – so it’s efficient.
- Layers of flavour – Garlic, bacon and parmesan give it a savoury depth, while the peas give a little hit of sweetness.
- You can swap out the pasta, but using pasta shells means you have sauce catchers!! I fully recommend.
- It’s a great fridge raider – add in mushrooms, peppers, spinach, finely chopped broccoli etc. if you have them in the fridge and they need using up.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
Pro Tip
Be sure to save some pasta cooking water to add into the dish – this loosens the sauce PLUS the starch in the water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and gives the sauce a silky finish.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
- I love to serve this with a fresh, crispy Simple Salad,
- and a chunk of Homemade Garlic Bread or Crusty Artisan Bread.
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Creamy Bacon Pea Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 160 g (5 3/4 oz) bacon lardons
- 1 onion peeled and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 chicken stock cube crumbled
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- 75 g (3/4 packed cup) grated (shredded) Parmesan
To Serve:
- chopped fresh parsley
- black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water for 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.400 g (14 oz) pasta shells
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove from the pan with slotted spoon and place in a bowl.1 tablespoon oil, 160 g (5 3/4 oz) bacon lardons
- Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.1 onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Stir the chicken stock cube into the reserved cup of pasta cooking water.1 chicken stock cube
- Add the pasta to the pan and half the stock-flavoured cooking water. Add the cream and peas and heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes.120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream, 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- Stir in the Parmesan. Add more of the water if you want to loosen the sauce at all.75 g (3/4 packed cup) grated (shredded) Parmesan
- Add the cooked bacon lardons back to the pan and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until the peas and bacon are hot.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley and black pepper.chopped fresh parsley, black pepper
Video
Notes
Bacon Lardons
I buy ready-chopped bacon lardons or pancetta cubes for this, but you can also simply used chopped up thick bacon (rindless). **Check out the FAQs below for info on making ahead and ingredient swaps/additions** Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4)Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
? Frequently Asked Questions
I think this tastes best when made and served immediately. That’s when you’re going to get the creamiest sauce.
Reheating pasta in a creamy sauce can sometimes cause any oils in the sauce to separate, leading to a slightly more oily, rather than creamy taste.
However! you can liven it up again on reheating, by adding in an extra splash of cream and an extra sprinkling of parmesan.
If you are looking to make ahead, or reheat leftovers, then make the dish, quickly cool, cover and refrigerate.
Reheat (with extra cream and parmesan) in a microwave for 3-4 minutes, or in a lidded saucepan, over a low heat, for about 6-7 minutes, until the chicken and pasta are piping hot throughout. You’ll need to stir a couple of times during reheating too.
If you want to add in some more vegetables, baby spinach and chopped cherry tomatoes can be stirred in during the last minute, along with the cooked bacon.
Small chunks of mushrooms, bell peppers, courgette (zucchini), broccoli, mange tout, or finely chopped green beans work great too. Add them at the same time as the onion.
Swap out the bacon lardons for chopped vegetarian sausages or a vegetarian-style bacon alternative. Swap the chicken stock cube for a vegetable one. The Parmesan can also be swapped for vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese.
🍲 More quick and easy pasta dinners
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