Pea and bacon tagliatelle
My pea and bacon tagliatelle is one of those simple, yet delicious meals that caters to all the family. Firstly, there’s a load of greens tucked between the creamy pasta and then you have that salty hit of bacon. Perfect! Just make sure you double the portion if serving for four people.
One of the reasons I love this dish is that I always have a bag of frozen peas and pack of bacon stocked and ready to go at home. They’re very much staples in my house and you need barely any additional ingredients to make something a bit special out of them. Peas are very underrated in my eyes. I once made a full dessert that was pea based when I worked in fine dining restaurants and I still think about it to this day.
To make this dish suitable for vegetarians, just remove the bacon and parmesan and switch out for a different cheese and additional veggies like peppers or mushrooms. Make the most out of any veggies that need using.
For more dinner inspo, check out my recipes here. If you love carbs, you’ve found the right gal xoxo.
Ingredients
- 250g frozen peas
- 100ml double cream
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 large handfuls spinach
- 75g bacon lardons
- 150g tagliatelle pasta
- Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top
- Salt and pepper to season
Method
- Bring a large pot of boiling water to the boil. Season the water heavily with salt and tip in the peas. Bring back to the boil, cover and cook for 2 minutes. You don't want overcooked peas.
- Drain the peas into a colander over another saucepan, then tip ¾ of the peas into a blender jug. Bring the water back to the boil and blanch the spinach by dropping it in the water for 30 seconds until it is dark green and cooked.
- Drain into a colander and use a spatula to squeeze all of the water out, then add into the blender with the peas. In a small saucepan warm the cream with grated garlic and a pinch of salt. Pour into the blender and blitz until a bright green, smooth sauce.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water for 9-10 minutes until al dente. While the pasta cooks, fry off the bacon lardons in a large frying pan until golden brown, then reserve half of the lardons for later.
- Drain your pasta and reserve a cup of pasta water. Pour the green sauce into the frying pan with the bacon lardons and add in your cooked pasta. Use a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce and stir through the reserved peas.
- Split your pasta between 2 bowls and sprinkle over the bacon lardons. Grate over some parmesan and get stuck in. Enjoy!