Creamy Penne Pasta with Peas and Bacon: A Quick Weeknight Meal
By Mason Brooks
Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
This hearty pasta dish with peas and bacon can be prepared in 20 minutes or less and is a good choice for weeknight meals. Peas and bacon are added to this dish for flavor. Despite its hearty flavor, this dish is quick and simple to make. Minimal ingredients and one-pan preparation save time when making this dish.
Ingredients include penne pasta, frozen peas, thick sliced bacon, and heavy cream. This dish is rich and tasty. Cooking the peas and pasta together in one pot saves on cleanup and makes the peas taste better. Heavy cream adds richness to the dish without making it seem heavy.
When preparing this recipe, watch the onions and bacon as they’re cooking to make sure they’re fully cooked together. One of the biggest mistakes made when preparing this recipe is overcooking the pasta, which can cause it to become mushy. To avoid this, cook the pasta until al dente and then continue cooking it in the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.
Serve the food hot directly from the pan. Seal any leftovers in a container and refrigerate for up to two days. When reheating leftovers, add a small amount of cream to the food to add moisture and creaminess.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Ready in 20 minutes by combining the pea and pasta cooking times with separate bacon cooking time.
- Uses few ingredients and is easy to prepare, even when you don't feel like cooking.
- Uses a single pan for cooking to save cleanup time and give you more time to eat.
- Offers rich flavors to satisfy quick dinners.
- Easy to modify with other pasta and vegetable options. Many ingredients for this dish can be substituted with what you already have at home.
- Offers comfort flavor in a dish that isn't overly rich because of ingredient choices.
Ingredients
- •1 tablespoon olive oil
- •½ cup yellow onion (diced very small)
- •1 cup peas (frozen)
- •6 slices bacon (thick cut, cut into small pieces)
- •¾ pound penne pasta
- •¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne pasta.
- 2
Halfway through cooking the pasta, add the frozen peas to the water.
- 3
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high and add the onion and bacon.
- 4
Cook until the onions are translucent and the bacon is crisp.
- 5
Drain the pasta and peas, then add them to the onion and bacon mixture.
- 6
Lower the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream.
- 7
Stir well, add more cream if needed, and serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
570
Protein
17g
Fat
23g
Carbs
70g
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