Penne with Peas Bacon

This dish brings together homey comfort and fancy flavors in one creamy penne delight. Each bite delivers soft pasta covered in velvety sauce, with sweet peas popping through and crunchy bacon bits adding magic. Simple stuff turned into something you won't forget.

I stumbled on this gem back in cooking school, and it's stuck with me ever since. The secret? Let that bacon cook slow and easy, making all that tasty fat that makes everything better.

Key Ingredients

• Penne Pasta: Get the rough-textured kind so the sauce sticks better
• Bacon: Go for the thick stuff - it gives you better bite and bigger flavor than thin slices
• Frozen Peas: Their sweetness cuts through the salty bacon, plus they keep their shape better than the canned stuff
• Yellow Onion: Pick firm, heavy ones without soft spots for the sweetest taste
• Heavy Cream: The fat makes the sauce super smooth and stops it from breaking apart
• Reserved Pasta Water: This starchy liquid makes magic happen with your sauce texture
• Parmigiano Reggiano (Optional): Splurge on the real aged stuff for best meltability and flavor

Detailed Instructions

Bacon Preparation (10-12 minutes):

Slice bacon into small chunks about 1/2-inch wide for even cooking. Start with a cold pan and heat it slowly to melt the fat properly. Cook until crunchy but not burnt, giving it a stir now and then. Take it out with a slotted spoon, keeping all that good fat in the pan.

Building the Base (8-10 minutes):

Turn heat down to medium. Throw in your finely chopped onions right into that bacon fat. Cook them until see-through and slightly browned. Add some black pepper but hold off on salt since bacon's already pretty salty.

Pasta Perfection (10-12 minutes):

Get a big pot of water boiling hard. Add plenty of salt – it should taste like ocean water. Drop in your penne and set your timer for 2 minutes less than what the box says. Toss the frozen peas in during the last 3 minutes. Save a cup of that cooking water before draining.

Creating the Sauce (5-7 minutes):

Put your pan with the onions back on medium heat. Pour in your cream, stirring the whole time. Let it bubble gently until it gets a bit thicker. Pour in half of your saved pasta water, mixing it all together. Add some black pepper and taste it before you think about adding salt.

Final Assembly (3-5 minutes):

Dump your drained pasta and peas into the skillet. Add the crispy bacon pieces. Gently mix until everything's coated nicely. Splash in more pasta water if it looks too thick. Let it sit for a minute so the flavors can mingle.

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Coming from an Italian-American family, I learned early on that pasta water is pure magic. Just the other day, I was showing my niece how to make this, and seeing her amazed face when that starchy water transformed our sauce was the best. It's these little kitchen tricks that really count.

Temperature Control

Getting the heat right matters a ton in this dish. If your pan's too hot when you add cream, your sauce can split. I always pull the pan off the heat for a sec before pouring in the cream, then put it back on medium-low to get that silky smooth finish.

Choosing Your Pasta

Penne works great, but I've tried all sorts of shapes. Rigatoni gives you bigger bites, while orecchiette makes tiny cups that catch those peas perfectly. Just pick something sturdy enough to handle the thick sauce and all the goodies mixed in.

Seasonal Variations

When spring rolls around, I'll use fresh English peas if I can find them - they only need about 2 minutes in the pasta water. In summer, sometimes I'll toss in halved cherry tomatoes at the end for bright pops of flavor. Winter versions might get a tiny pinch of nutmeg in the cream for extra warmth.

Professional Chef Tips

* Don't ever rinse your pasta - that starch helps sauce stick
* Slightly freeze your bacon before cutting for cleaner slices
* Let cream sit out a bit before using for smoother sauce
* Want it extra fancy? Finish with a little drizzle of good olive oil

This pasta shows what I love most about Italian cooking - taking basic ingredients and making them shine through careful cooking. Whether it's just a quick dinner for the family or something special for guests, it always brings happy faces to the table.

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Frequently Asked Questions

→ Why toss the peas in halfway through boiling the pasta?

It keeps the peas fresh and firm, cooking them just right alongside the pasta in one pot.

→ Why not cook the pasta fully by package timing?

Stopping a bit early helps keep the pasta firm and ensures it doesn't go soft after mixing it with the hot sauce.

→ Can I prepare this ahead of time?

It tastes best served right after cooking—the pasta keeps absorbing sauce as it sits.

→ What if the sauce feels too dry?

Pour in a bit more cream to coat everything lightly, without making a soup of the dish.

→ Why chop the onions that small?

Finely diced onions disappear into the recipe, cooking quicker and blending with the bacon evenly.