Lightened Up Pasta With Peas And Bacon Recipes

LIGHTENED-UP PASTA WITH PEAS AND BACON

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and oil.
• To cook peas, either add them to the pasta pot in the final 1 minute of pasta cooking time, or simply place them in the bottom of the colander through which you'll pour out the boiling pasta water to drain the pasta after cooking (the peas will heat through perfectly from the boiling pasta water draining over them).
• Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water prior to draining the pasta.
• Drain pasta and set pasta and peas aside briefly, keeping them warm.
• Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring frequently, about 5-10 minutes. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook garlic in the olive oil for about 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn, just until the garlic is softened and fragrant. Immediately remove from heat and pour the garlic-oil into a large serving bowl.
• Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the garlic-oil and whisk to thoroughly combine.
• Add hot pasta and peas to the lemon-garlic-oil mixture and stir thoroughly.
• Add reserved bacon, parmesan cheese, and basil to the pasta mixture, and stir again.
• Loosen if needed with reserved pasta cooking water. (Sometimes we don't need this at all, but sometimes a little pasta cooking water helps to loosen the consistency perfectly.)

PASTA WITH BACON AND PEAS

Steps:

• Place ricotta, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper in a large bowl. set aside. Fry bacon in skillet til crisp. Transfer bacon to paper plate to drain, crumbling once cooled. Reserve pan and bacon grease.
• To the bacon pan, add onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Transfer onion mixture to cheese mixture.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water. When it is just 1 minute till done, add peas to water.
• Reserving 1 cup of pasta/pea water, drain pasta and peas. Add half of the pasta water to the cheese mixture along with the lemon juice and mix till smooth.
• Add pasta and peas to the cheese mixture and toss to coat, adding more reserved water as necessary to moisten pasta. Stir in bacon bits, adjust seasoning, and serve.