Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Salty bacon and sweet peas are such a great combination in this ultra-simple pasta dish.
Ingredients
400 g (14 oz) pasta shells
1 tablespoon oil
160 g (5 3/4 oz) bacon lardons
1 onion peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 chicken stock cube crumbled
120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
75 g (3/4 packed cup) grated (shredded) Parmesan
To Serve:
chopped fresh parsley
black pepper
Instructions
✅Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water for 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
✅While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove from the pan with slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
✅Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
✅Stir the chicken stock cube into the reserved cup of pasta cooking water.
✅Add the pasta to the pan and half the stock-flavoured cooking water. Add the cream and peas and heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
✅Stir in the Parmesan. Add more of the water if you want to loosen the sauce at all.
✅Add the cooked bacon lardons back to the pan and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until the peas and bacon are hot.
✅Serve topped with fresh parsley and black pepper.
Salty bacon and sweet peas are such a great combination in this ultra-simple pasta dish.
Ingredients
400 g (14 oz) pasta shells
1 tablespoon oil
160 g (5 3/4 oz) bacon lardons
1 onion peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 chicken stock cube crumbled
120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
75 g (3/4 packed cup) grated (shredded) Parmesan
To Serve:
chopped fresh parsley
black pepper
Instructions
✅Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water for 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
✅While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove from the pan with slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
✅Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
✅Stir the chicken stock cube into the reserved cup of pasta cooking water.
✅Add the pasta to the pan and half the stock-flavoured cooking water. Add the cream and peas and heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
✅Stir in the Parmesan. Add more of the water if you want to loosen the sauce at all.
✅Add the cooked bacon lardons back to the pan and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until the peas and bacon are hot.
✅Serve topped with fresh parsley and black pepper.
