Mini Shella Pasta with a Creamy Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce
By HeatherS
Ingredients
- 10 slices smoked bacon or pancetta, preferably free-range or organic
- a small bunch of fresh mint
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried mini shell or other type of pasta
- olive oil
- a pat of butter
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream
- 1 lemon
- 6 ounces Parmesan cheese
Details
Servings 4
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 30mins
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare your pasta:
Finely slice the bacon • Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks • Finely grate the Parmesan
To cook your pasta:
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil • Add the mini shells and cook according to the package instructions • Get a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil and the butter • Add the bacon to the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp • Meanwhile, finely chop your mint leaves • As soon as the bacon is golden, add your frozen peas and give the pan a good shake • After a minute or so, add the crème fraiche (or heavy cream) and chopped mint to the bacon and peas • Drain the pasta in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water • Add the pasta to the frying pan • Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta • When it's all bubbling away nicely, remove from the heat • It's really important that the sauce is creamy, silky, and delicious but if it's too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit • Add the grated Parmesan and give the pan a shake to mix it in
To serve your pasta:
Divide your pasta between plates or bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves • Lovely with a simply dressed green salad
You'll also love
- THREE CHEESE FRENCH ONION SOUP 4.8/5 (4 Votes)
- Gordon Ramsay’s Herb Crusted... 4.7/5 (3 Votes)
- Sunday Pork Roast 4.5/5 (4 Votes)
- World’s Best Tuna-Noodle... 4.7/5 (3 Votes)
- Candied Bacon Toffee 4.7/5 (3 Votes)
- Easy Fettucini Alfredo 4.5/5 (14 Votes)
Review this recipe