Description
A quick and delicious creamy shell pasta dish with crispy bacon and peas, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) pasta shells
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas (thawed)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for garnish)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta shells until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- In a large skillet, cook diced bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 1 tbsp of bacon fat in the pan.
- Add butter to the skillet with bacon fat. Sauté onion until translucent, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in cream and milk, stirring until heated through. Add Parmesan and whisk until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add pasta shells and peas into the skillet, tossing to coat in sauce. Stir in crispy bacon, reserving some for topping. Add a splash of pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve warm with garlic bread or a side salad.
Notes
- For a lighter version, you can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like spinach or mushrooms for extra flavor.
- This dish is best served immediately but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 80mg