This dish soothes my soul every time I make it. The creamy pasta is packed with flavor and goodness and my family raves about it every time. It is a comfort food that just hits the spot when you eat it. The smoked bacon and heavenly cream mixed in with pasta, peas, and sun-dried tomato marry each other so smoothly. It is a quick and easy recipe that is sure to fill your pallet with mouthwatering velvety goodness!
Pasta is such a versatile food. It can be made a million ways and there is nothing like it. You can eat it simply with olive oil and garlic or filled with sauce and cream and it’s just delicious. You can’t ever go wrong with pasta. If I could eat pasta every day I would, but those carbs just don’t sit right with my thighs! 😉
I like how easy and simple this recipe is. Who doesn’t like a quick and easy meal on nights with limited time?
Let’s talk bacon
I love smoked bacon and I found one that was sugar-free which was awesome. It is packed with flavor and a great addition to this recipe. Choose any bacon that is your favorite or what your budget can afford.
Here’s a tip with bacon. I almost never add salt to my recipes when using bacon because it is filled with flavor and sodium. Always be careful with adding salt when cooking with bacon or you will have one salty meal. I like to cook the bacon, combine my other ingredients, and taste for flavor when it’s almost done. Usually, in a dish like this, the bacon gives off the right amount of sodium, if it doesn’t and I feel like the dish needs more salt, that’s when I’ll add more. But, if you are one who loves salt and wants more than you do you!
Pasta
You can essentially use any type of pasta with this recipe. I love using Fettuccine because of how velvety it makes this dish. Feel free to experiment with other kinds of pasta.
Tip: Always boil a pot of water for your pasta with a good amount of salt. It helps bring the flavor out of the pasta and just makes it taste 10x better when cooked with the right amount of salt water. Many cooks and chefs will say not to put olive oil in your pot because it’ll prevent the pasta from sticking to any sauce you pour over it later. I kind of disagree. I always put salt and olive oil in my pot and never noticed a difference. I feel as though the olive oil helps the pasta from sticking to each other while cooking. After you bring the water to a boil, place pasta in your pot and give it a stir a few times so the pasta doesn’t stick to one another. Always follow instructions on the packaging.
Cooking pasta al dente is also a great piece of advice. When you overcook pasta, it will leave a gooey mess and take away its flavor. Nobody wants tasteless pasta! It will also strip away the nutrients when overcooked. So, be careful to not overcook it!
Pasta Water
When the pasta is finally cooked, don’t throw away the pasta water. I like to use a pasta fork to transfer pasta into the pan where I cook the bacon and cream. The reason for saving pasta water is so that if your cream sauce becomes too thick after you add in the pasta, a little pasta water can go a long way and help with creating a creamier sauce.
Cream
I love heavy cream! It is so great for this dish. It is creamy, and smooth and captures well with pasta. Be careful not to overcook it though or it will break down the fat and your sauce will curdle. Once you have added all your ingredients, heavy cream will be the last thing you add. When it comes to boil, it will start to get thicker, turn off the heat after a few seconds of it boiling and it will result in a creamy sauce packed with velvety smooth richness.
Garnish your dish with fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese. These give this dish the icing on the cake!
Have fun with this recipe. You can incorporate other things if you would like to experiment! Feel free to share what you have done in the comments below or share a picture of you enjoying this delicious meal!
Bom apetite! Enjoy your meal!
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Creamy Fettuccine with Bacon, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Peas
Ingredients
- Salt for boiling pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 12 oz of smoked bacon diced
- 1 lb of fettuccine
- 1 cup of peas frozen or fresh
- 5 sliced Sun dried tomatoes, in oil or packaged
- 1 small onion diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp of red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tsp of dijon mustard
- 2 cups of cream heavy or light
- Fresh chopped parsley to garnish
- Grated parmesan cheese to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water, salt and extra virgin olive oil to a boil.
- Once boiling add in fettuccine. Follow cooking time on packaging.
- Heat skillet on medium high heat. Dice bacon and place on skillet. Let sauté for a few minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add onion and garlic. Once onion becomes translucent, add peas and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir, let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in 2 cups of cream, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
- Once cream comes to a boil, turn off heat and let sit until pasta is cooked.
- Once pasta is cooked do not drain pasta. Use a pasta fork to transfer pasta into the pot where you cooked the bacon and cream.
- If you see that the sauce is becoming too thick, after mixing the pasta in, add some pasta water until desired creaminess.
- Add parsley, parmesan cheese, and serve.
- Bom Apetite. Enjoy your meal!
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