Pasta with Bacon

And peas

(from Gordon Ramsay’s “Makes It Easy”)

Serves 4-6

7oz dried fusilli or other pasta shapes

Sea salt and pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

4oz bacon, cut into small cubes

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

1 cup frozen peas

1-2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley

1-2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water with 1 tbsp olive oil for 7 to 10 minutes until al dente (cooked but firm to the bite). Drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch. Return to the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, and then add the bacon and sauté until crisp. Add the cream and let bubble until reduced by half.

Add the peas, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the sauce and heat through, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan, and serve in warm pasta bowls.

*I love this dish! It’s an easy alternative when you have a taste for alfredo or carbonara pasta. I use pancetta instead of bacon because I prefer the taste, and I never use parsley (I just don’t like it). If you want to add some extra protein, dice up and sauté some chicken or shrimp. I cook this first in the pan, remove, and add back into the sauce to heat through at the end. And I would limit the amount of pepper until you separate some for the kiddos and some for the grownups…I like a lot of pepper but my girls do not.

**My girls loved the dish! Because they are still little, I cook the pasta a little longer so it’s easier for them to chew. They even ate some peas, which is almost a miracle in itself. It could be that I hid it under the grated Parmesan!