When talking about comfort food, pasta dishes are way up there on the list of food that is not only easy to prepare, but everyone enjoys and craves
Penne pasta, peas, and bacon. This quick, easy pasta dish takes as long as it takes to cook the pasta itself.
It is a savory combination of sweet green peas with crisp onions and bacon.
The heavy cream binds it all together, blending the flavors well. A wonderful savory dish that is perfect for any night of the week or a gathering with friends.
Last-minute dinner? This pasta recipe is your dish and will soon be your go-to dish.
In this Article
- Meatless dinner?
- Can I use cheese with this dish?
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
- Equipment needed
- Cooking tips and step by step on how to make this delicious penne pasta recipe:
- Serve it piping hot and immediately.
- Substitutions and some extra notes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you enjoy this Penne Pasta, Peas, and Bacon dish, look at some of my other recipes!
- Penne Pasta, Peas and Bacon
Meatless dinner?
Yes, of course! Omit the bacon. Use olive oil and or butter to sautee the onions.
Add some sliced mushrooms. Rich and the perfect combination of bacon and heavy cream.
Fresh peas? Yes!! Cook them a little bit longer and make sure they are tender.
Can I use cheese with this dish?
Yes, of course, you can.
- Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino cheese will do wonders, I just happen to choose not to use some. Please add as much as you like.
- If adding cheese add it when the cooked penne is poured over the heavy cream, peas, and bacon mixture.
- Grind a couple of rounds of pepper over the whole dish for a deeper flavor.
Parmigiano Reggiano is my favorite cheese with any Italian dish.
But the French side of me, which adores cheese, likes to play havoc, thus adding pecorino and ricotta Salata to this dish.
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed
Yellow onion – Sweeter and always add a layer of flavor to your dishes
Frozen peas – most accessible and adding them to the pasta cooking water makes it effertlessy and gives that sweet flavor to your pasta
Bacon – I love thick slices that have more meat than the white fat part, sliced small will crisp up faster
Penne pasta – my favorite, however rigatoni, ziti, or orechiette will work as well.
Heavy cream – thickens when heat it and acts a binding agent to your pasta
Equipment needed
I only recommnet what I use and love.
Large pot to cook your penne pasta
Large skillet to prepare your penne pasta sauce
Colander to drain your pasta
Cooking tips and step by step on how to make this delicious penne pasta recipe:
Have all the ingredients ready before cooking. This dish will be prepared relatively quickly and you do not want to be around the kitchen.
- Use a large skillet for cooking the onions and the bacon. The larger skillet will facilitate when you need to pour the pasta over and mix the sauce with the peas.
- Always salt the water to boil your pasta in it. This will give your pasta that wonderful flavor instead of biting into a piece of salt when added after cooking.
- Cook your penne pasta al dente, meaning, the pasta still has to have a bite when you test it. It will continue the cooking process when mixed with the creamy sauce.
- You do want to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water if you want to have them creamier and do not want to add more heavy cream. The water contains the starch needed to be used with pasta.
- Use the bacon grease as it will give the best flavor to the onions when cooking together.
- I prefer to use yellow onions as they give out a rich flavor. White onions and shallots will work beautifully too.
- Add the frozen peas to the cooking water halfway thru the cooking process of the penne.
- I used penne pasta. However, conchiglie or orecchiette will do, also. You need a tubular or a cup type of pasta, so the sauce gets into the crevices and you enjoy it more.
Serve it piping hot and immediately.
The longer pasta sits, the softer it gets as the cooking continues.
Serve it in a large pasta bowl, as I have pictured here, or pour it immediately into large pasta bowls.
Let your guests add the amount of cheese they want over it.
As they say in Italy:
” Pasta does not wait for you. You wait for it”
Have your whole family ready to enjoy this excellent savory dish piping hot off the stove.
Substitutions and some extra notes
- For heavy cream substitutes, mix some cream cheese with whole milk. The heavy cream acts as a binding agent with the richness of the bacon and peas.
- Feta cheese can also be a good substitution for the ricotta Salata. However, you cannot grate it but need to shave it into small pieces.
- Use sausage meat removed from the casing to replace the bacon.
- If you want to add some garlic, go light with them. Too much garlic will change the flavor of this wonderful pasta, peas and bacon recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ricotta salata?
Fresh milk flavored with a hint of salt and aged thirty days.
Can I use Ricotta Salata with this recipe?
Yes, but with a note of caution. When using ricotta Salata, Salata in Italian means salted, do not overseason your dish until the last minute after you taste it.
Why penne pasta are the best?
Due to the round tubular shape and with diagonal cuts at either ends, it is always served with dishes that have a thick, creamy sauce that penetrates the tube and holds the sauce well. Also a great pasta to use with baked dishes.
If you enjoy this Penne Pasta, Peas, and Bacon dish, look at some of my other recipes!
Penne alla Vodka – Perfection in A Dish
Ricotta, Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Penne Pasta – The Best!
Eggplant, Pasta, and Ricotta Salata – Summer in A Plate
Equipment used to make this dish
Penne Pasta, Peas and Bacon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Halfway thru cooking the pasta, add the frozen peas to the water. Refer to package cooking instructions minus 1 minute so the penne pasta will be at dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the olive oil over medium-high, and add the finely diced onions and the bacon. Cook until the bacon and onions are crisp but not burned.
- Drain the pasta and peas and add them to the onion bacon mixture. Lower the heat to medium and add the heavy cream.
- Stir well, add more cream if needed and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Pasta, Rice & Grains, Dinners
- Cuisine: Italian
- Season: Fall, Winter
- Type: Under 45 minutes
Did you make this?
Leave a comment below and tag @giangiskitchen on Instagram
Visit my Amazon Storefront for my selection of favorite kitchen essentials. I only recommend equipment that I use and love.
Please read my privacy policy for more info. I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost.
Jennifer
This pasta dish looks so refreshing. Bacon in anything tastes great, so I cannot imagine this dish tasting anything but excellent.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, I could not agree more, bacon makes everything taste great
Christina’s Bread Bakes
I used your suggestion and substituted Italian sausage (out of the casing), super easy and delicious meal.
Giangi Townsend
I am so happy you did and enjoy it.
Thank you for stopping by my small corner of the web.
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
What a delicious pasta dish! I love the simplicity. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you Cindy! yes, quite simple and delicious.
Kalin Williams
Such a simple yet delicious dish! This would make for a great dinner
Giangi Townsend
Absolutely! Thank you for stopping by my corner of the web.
nancy
my go to weeknight meal – i love the added peas to sneak it in for the kiddos
Giangi Townsend
I had to sneak in peas to the food for almost 12 years. Enjoy!
Shelby
A classic weeknight meal, so delicious and always a hit with kids!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Rosanna
Yum! We all loved this on our weekly pasta night, will definitely make again
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for your feedback and so happy everyone enjoyed it.
Linda
You had me at the ingredient combo, but then only 20 minutes!? Absolutely delish! My kid prefers pastas with red sauce, but I think he may be a convert now. 🙂
Giangi Townsend
They must give it a try, I am confident that they will like it.
Enjoy!
Abhi
Who would not love making such an easy and yum pasta recipe? It is on my hit list now!!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and enjoy it.
Gina Abernathy
A great dish for any night of the week. So simple yet so tasty.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you! Super simple and easy.
Jean
I use mushroom and turned out great with this penne pasta.
Giangi Townsend
A wonderful addition to this dish. I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Katie
This recipe is so creamy!!! The flavor is spot on and it’s easy to make!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed it
Natalie
Simple, delicious and very kid-friendly recipe! Loved your pasta with bacon and peas! Must try your other recipes as well…
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and so happy you like it.
Bon Appetit!
Cindy L
My hubby walked by as I was reading your post and requested this for dinner. The whole family enjoyed it and the kids asked if I could add this to our meal plan every month. Thanks for such a delicious recipe!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine and I am grateful all of you enjoyed it.
Thank you for your feedback.
xoxo
Sue
This looks so delicious and perfect in its simplicity. I love all the variation ideas you provide!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you. Enjoy it!
nancy
i’m always done for adding more veggies into my pasta dish. this one was creamy and flavourful
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, Nancy, for your feedback.
Kayla DiMaggio
Yum! This was the perfect weeknight dinner!
Audrey
Yum such a good combo!
Jeri
Loved this quick pasta dish!
Lilly
So simple and delicious! My family is already asking me to make this pasta dish again! Thanks for the recipe
Brianna May
Looks so good!!
Erica Leigh
Bacon and peas are always a great combo in pasta. We did add some parm on top and it just took it to another level. We all loved it. So tasty.
Bernice
Such a tasty dish and so easy too! You had me at peas and bacon.
Julia
Delicious recipe!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you.
Christin
Hi
Can you use milk for heavy cream
Giangi Townsend
Hi Christin, Unfortunately, no, not the same consistency, and it will not whip up.
Giangi Townsend
Hi Christin,
yes you can, but make sure you put some corn starch or flour to thicken the sauce
Rosa
Made this today,absolutely delicious I added Parmesan cheese
Giangi Townsend
I am so happy you enjoyed it and thank you for your feedback.
Cathy
Is the bacon fat to be
Drained off?
Giangi Townsend
Yes, some of it is. Thank you for bringing it up tmy attention
Ang
I have made a similar version of this for years, with sausage instead of bacon and chicken broth and parmesan cheese instead of cream. I am excited to try it your way. Thank you.
Giangi Townsend
Your way sounds amazing too and I will give it a try. Enjoy my version and love to have your feedback.
Enjoy!