Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas

This creamy pasta with bacon and peas is delicious, comforting and budget-friendly. Made with low-fat creme fraiche, the bacon and pea pasta is also quite light and just perfect for a quick midweek dinner!

Bacon and peas make a smashing combination that's even more delicious when smothered in a creamy yet light sauce.

This creamy pasta with bacon and peas has everything I love about a quick pasta dish — salty and crispy bits of bacon, sweet petit pois and a light sauce made with low-fat creme fraiche.

It's just the sort of dish you want to hear about at the end of a busy day. You can have a comforting bowl of carbs, protein and veggies in your hands in just 25 minutes.

Why you'll love this creamy pasta with bacon and peas

• You only need a handful of ingredients.
• It's a budget-friendly yet super flavorful pasta dish.
• It tastes like a treat without any butter or heavy cream.

What goes into bacon pea pasta?

Olive oil - You only need a splash of oil to fry the bacon in. Don't add more than a tablespoon because the bacon will leave some extra grease, enough to cook the shallot and garlic in.

Bacon - Both bacon lardons and pancetta cubes are perfect in this pasta dish. You can also use bacon rashers cut into small strips.

Smoked bacon gives extra flavor to this creamy bacon and pea pasta, but unsmoked bacon is equally good if you prefer it.

Shallot - I love shallot in this pasta dish because it has a mellow flavor. However, you can use yellow or red onion — just make sure you dice it finely so it softens quickly.

Garlic - Freshly chopped garlic infuses this pasta dish with loads of flavor.

Red chili flakes - Feel free to skip the red pepper flakes if you don't want the pasta to have a bit of a kick.

Italian herbs mix - You can also use ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon dried basil instead of Italian herbs mix.

Peas - Frozen petit pois are just perfect for this pasta with peas and bacon, but you can use any other kind of sweet peas. Canned peas or fresh peas also work here.

Creme fraiche - You only need a bit of low-fat creme fraiche to make this pasta creamy. Low-fat cream cheese is another good option.

Pasta - I used shell pasta because it does a great job holding the bacon and peas. Orechiette or ditalini are also great choices here.

Parmesan — It's always best to grate your own Parmesan cheese for pasta recipes like this.

How to make pasta with peas and bacon

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven and fry the bacon lardons for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until slightly crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Add the shallot to the pan with the bacon grease and cook for 1-2 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for a further minute.

Stir in the Italian herbs, frozen peas and 1 cup of the water the pasta was cooking into.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then lower the heat and stir in the creme fraiche.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Add a bit more pasta water if it looks too dry.

Add the cooked bacon and stir in the grated Parmesan. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe notes and tips

• If you want this peas and bacon pasta to be extra creamy, use heavy cream instead of the creme fraiche.
• Sprinkle some extra grated Parmesan cheese on individual bowls right before serving.
• Add a splash of lemon juice to the pasta for extra brightness.
• You can use some chicken broth instead of pasta water to cook the peas in.
• This pasta dish is best served immediately, but any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.

If you liked this creamy pasta with bacon and peas, you might also like some of my other easy pasta recipes:

• Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
• White Wine Pasta Sauce
• Easy Ground Turkey Pasta
• Spicy Sausage Pasta
• Easy Garlic Lemon Tuna Pasta

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