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This silky penne dish mixes comfort with elegance perfectly. Each bite delivers tender pasta wrapped in velvety cream sauce, with sweet peas popping against crunchy bacon bits – turning basic ingredients into something you'll crave again and again.
I first learned this dish back in cooking school, and it's stuck with me ever since. The secret I found was cooking the bacon slowly, which builds a flavor foundation that makes everything taste better.
Key Ingredients
- Penne Pasta: Go for rough-textured pasta that'll grip the sauce better
- Bacon: The thicker cut makes all the difference – you'll get better texture and stronger flavor than thin slices
- Frozen Peas: They bring natural sweetness that balances the salty bacon and hold their shape nicely
- Yellow Onion: Pick ones that feel heavy and don't have soft spots for the sweetest taste
- Heavy Cream: The fat makes your sauce smooth and stops it from breaking apart
- Reserved Pasta Water: This starchy liquid is the magic that ties your sauce together
- Parmigiano Reggiano (Optional): Splurge on the real aged stuff if you can – it melts better and tastes amazing
Detailed Instructions
- Bacon Preparation (10-12 minutes):
- Slice bacon into small half-inch chunks for even cooking. Start with a cold pan and warm it slowly to melt the fat properly. Cook until crisp but not burnt, giving it a stir now and then. Scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon, keeping the fat in the pan.
- Building the Base (8-10 minutes):
- Turn heat to medium. Toss finely chopped onions into the bacon fat. Cook until they turn clear and start to brown slightly. Add some black pepper but hold off on salt since the bacon brings plenty.
- Pasta Perfection (10-12 minutes):
- Get a big pot of water boiling hard. Salt it generously – it should taste like seawater. Drop in the penne and set your timer for 2 minutes less than what the box says. Throw the frozen peas in when there's 3 minutes left. Save a cup of the cooking water before you drain everything.
- Creating the Sauce (5-7 minutes):
- Put the onion skillet back on medium heat. Pour in the heavy cream and keep stirring. Let it bubble gently until it thickens slightly. Mix in half the saved pasta water. Add more black pepper and taste before adding any salt.
- Final Assembly (3-5 minutes):
- Add your drained pasta and peas to the skillet. Mix in the crispy bacon. Gently stir until everything's coated nicely. Add more pasta water if it looks too thick. Let it sit a minute to soak up the flavors.
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Coming from an Italian-American family, I learned early on that pasta water is pure gold. Just days ago, I showed my niece how to make this dish, and seeing her amazement when the starchy water transformed the sauce was such a joy. These small cooking tricks really do change everything.
Temperature Control
Watching your heat is super important for this recipe. If your pan's too hot when you add cream, your sauce might break apart. I always take the pan off the heat for a second before pouring in the cream, then put it back on medium-low to get that smooth, silky texture.
Choosing Your Pasta
Though penne works great, I've tried lots of shapes with this sauce. Rigatoni gives you bigger, more filling bites, while orecchiette makes tiny cups that catch the peas wonderfully. Just pick something sturdy enough to stand up to the thick sauce and mix-ins.
Seasonal Variations
In springtime, fresh English peas are amazing – they only need about 2 minutes in the pasta water. During summer, I sometimes toss in halved cherry tomatoes at the end for bright flavor pops. In winter, try a tiny pinch of nutmeg in the cream for extra warmth.
Professional Chef Tips
* Don't ever rinse your pasta – the starch helps sauce stick
* Cut your bacon when it's slightly frozen for easier slicing
* Let cream sit out a bit before using for a smoother sauce
* For an extra flavor boost, finish with a little drizzle of good olive oil
This dish shows what I love most about Italian cooking – simple stuff turned into something amazing through careful cooking. Whether it's just a quick family meal or dinner with friends, it always brings happy faces around the table.
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Common Questions
- → When should I put the peas in with the pasta?
- Toss them in halfway through cooking so they'll turn out just right without getting mushy while using just one pot.
- → Why should I cook pasta shorter than the box says?
- It keeps the pasta firm and prevents it from getting too soft when you mix it with the warm cream sauce.
- → Can I make this earlier and reheat it?
- It's best eaten right away since pasta gets softer the longer it sits around.
- → How can I tell if I should add more cream?
- If the pasta looks too dry after mixing everything, add a splash more - it should have a light coating but not swim in sauce.
- → Why chop onions into tiny pieces?
- Tiny onion bits spread better through the whole dish and cook faster and more evenly with the bacon.