Pasta With Bacon and Peas

2Bleu's Note:

easy dish to prepare, everyone loves this one.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 dash salt, to taste
• 1 dash black pepper, to taste
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb small shell pasta (or choice)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. 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.
2. To the bacon pan, add onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Transfer onion mixture to cheese mixture.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water. When it is just 1 minute till done, add peas to water.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

I did cut this in half for the 2 of us & had enough for a second round, which was great, because this pasta dish is absolutely wonderful! Great flavor combo! I now have it scheduled to make again in a couple of weeks (doubling the recipe) for a potluck we'll be attending! Definitely a keeper of a recipe! Thanks for sharing it! [Made & reviewed as a THANK YOU for playing with us in Please Review My Recipe during the recent tour]

[Andi of Longmeadow Farm]

Outstanding, luscious, bacony, smooth and so warming on the cold day in January. This dish was empty, and everyone at the table was asking for more. This recipe was a breeze to put together, as I twirled the cheese mixture up in the food processor for a couple of pulses, threw the bacon in the microwave for some quick, crisping, caramelized the onion, added the garlic moved it all together with the cooked pasta. Heaven! Heaven! Tossed in the peas added a dribble of lemon, and sprinkled the top with the crumbled bacon. Thank you so much for a energetic and great dish!

[ladygwyn]

This was a good filling meal. A lot of steps, but not too complicated :) Both my 8 y/o and 6 1/2 y/o had 2nd. Hubby thought it needed more cheesy sauce, but that could have been that i didn't add enough water at the end. I thought it was very yummy.