Creamy Pasta with Peas and Bacon

What, not a dessert?  Are you shocked?

Hey, I'm no one-trick pony.  I have to make dinner at my house, after all - and for a husband who happens to have the appetite of a teenage boy.  Translation:  I cook for 4+, not two.

So I bring you one of my weeknight specials, creamy pasta with peas and bacon.

It's actually ridiculously easy.  Almost embarrassingly easy.

Toss a salad next to it and you could even call it a fancy dinner.  Not too shabby, right?

Let's get started.

Get some water boiling for your pasta.  You'll need a whole pound of whatever shape you like.  Cook it to your desired texture.

Cook up some bacon while the pasta is doing its thing.  I throw mine on a sheet pan and bake at 425 until crisp.  Now, I'm not going to get all internet cliche about how bacon is meat candy and how it has crazy superpowers but I feel I must mention that it IS the food I would pick if someone told me I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life.

Oh, and get out your frozen peas.  No need to cook them - they will cook themselves when we add them to the dish.
Easy factor +1.

For the sauce, melt a stick of butter.

Pour in some cream and bring it up to a simmer.

Toss in your parmesan cheese and whisk it all together so it melts. Add in the garlic powder and a few shakes of pepper.

Dump the cooked noodles, bacon, and peas into your skillet and stir until they're nice and creamy and incorporated.  Add more parmesan cheese on top if you like. 

Creamy, smoky, sweet pea heaven. 

Creamy Pasta with Peas and Bacon

1 stick of butter (no substitutions here)
1 pint heavy cream (you could do half cream, half milk)
2 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese (2 bags of Sargento is exactly 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. garlic powder
cracked black pepper to taste
1 pound pasta, cooked and drained (I don't salt the water here, the cheese is salty enough)
12 oz. package of bacon, cooked and crumbled (I like the center cut - it provides the right bacon to pasta ratio but by all means you could use a whole pound if you like)
1- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas (use as much as you like)


In a large skillet, melt one stick of butter over medium heat.  Once bubbly and foaming, pour in your cream and bring this up to a simmer.  Add in your parmesan cheese and whisk until melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.  Add in your garlic powder and some cracked black pepper to taste.  I never need to add salt to this, but you can add salt as you see fit.  Throw in the cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, and frozen peas and stir.  That's it!  Top with more parmesan as desired.