Name: Pasta with Peas and Bacon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of salt for pasta cooking water; 1 pound of dried pasta (farfalle or bowties); 1 pound of sliced bacon; 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease; 2 tablespoons of butter; 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced; 2 cups frozen sweet green peas; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water; 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; Extra parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes for serving

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

This quick and easy pasta with peas and bacon only needs 6 ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes!

Bowtie pasta with crispy bacon, green peas, and parmesan cheese.

About

I’ve always loved adding little frozen sweet green peas to pasta. The little pops of peas burst in your mouth. And they’re cheap, quick cooking sources of fiber and protein. What’s not to love?

Peas are perfect in pesto tortellini, baked pasta, or classic pasta salad. There’s always room for peas in pasta! This pasta with bacon and peas is a family-friendly weeknight meal that can be thrown together quickly!

I like to use a whole box of pasta when I’m cooking. I’d rather not have random bits of noodles in my pantry, and we love leftovers. These noodles also reheat well for lunch. My kids like to eat the leftovers cold, like pasta salad.

You can totally make a half batch. The ingredients in this recipe are all easy to half. Just eyeball half of a 16-ounce box of pasta and save the rest for later.

This recipe is super simple and perfect for weeknights. It only uses 6 ingredients to create a simple and comforting pasta that the whole family will love.

Don’t forget to read the tips below to make your pasta a success!

Things to Know

This pasta is quick, easy, and comforting! Simple recipes with few ingredients often rely on specific techniques. Here are a few tips to make this pasta easy peasy. 🙂

Make sure to read the full recipe before you start cooking. The full instructions, ingredients, and quantities are in the recipe card.
You can use any small pasta you like for this pasta with bacon and peas. I used mini farfalle in the photos. My 2-year-old daughter was so excited about all the pretty bows. Bowties, penne, elbows, shells, and orecchiette all work too.
You’ll need an enameled Dutch oven or a large, deep skillet to make this. Or, you can easily half the recipe if you want a smaller amount.
Don’t forget to save your pasta cooking water for the sauce. Once the pasta is cooked, ladle some out and set it aside.
Be careful not to burn your bacon. There’s a fine line between crispy and burnt. Plus, you need that bacon grease to finish the sauce.

Ingredients

A pound of bacon, a box of bowties, peas, parmesan, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.

Any dried pasta will work for this dish. I prefer a short pasta with small peas and bacon pieces. I used mini farfalle in the photos. I’ve made it with various other pastas. It works well with shells, penne, bowties, elbows, and orecchiette.
Salted pasta cooking water is starchy and salty. It helps form the simple sauce for the pasta. Ladle a cup out and set it aside before you drain the pasta. Don’t skip this!
Crispy cooked bacon pieces make this pasta delicious and comforting!
Sauté minced garlic in some bacon grease and butter to build a flavorful base for your sauce.
Frozen sweet peas add a nice contrasting texture and a lightly sweet flavor. They also add protein and fiber to the pasta.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese melts into the sauce. It gives it a rich, savory, cheesy flavor.
Salt & pepper perfectly season this simple pasta.
Serve it topped with extra parmesan cheese. If you like a little spice, add some crushed pepper flakes.

How to Make it

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Then, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside until you’re ready to add it to the sauce.

Cooking diced bacon in a cast iron skillet.

While the pasta is cooking, cut the bacon into small pieces. Cook it until it’s crispy in a Dutch oven or very large skillet. Transfer the crispy bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Then, remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan.

Sauteing garlic in butter and bacon grease.

Sauteing frozen peas in butter, garlic, and bacon grease.

Add the butter and garlic to the remaining bacon grease and sauté until it becomes fragrant. Then, stir in the peas and let them begin to thaw. Now stir in the reserved pasta water.

Stirring cooked pasta into a skillet of sauce and peas.

Bring the peas to a simmer, then stir in the cooked pasta. Turn the heat off and stir in the cooked bacon and parmesan.

Serve hot. Top with extra parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

Storage and Reheating

This makes a big pot of pasta. It reheats well for easy lunches. If you don’t want leftovers, you can easily halve the recipe.

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in a microwave-safe container.

Serving Tips

This pasta is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. It’s a complete meal on its own! If you want a heartier meal, try serving it with garlic bread and a green salad. It goes great with a Greek salad.

I like making a big batch of pasta with peas and bacon for meal prep. It’s perfect for easy lunches.

A bite of pasta, bacon, and peas on a fork.

Recipe

My family loves this for an easy weeknight dinner!