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This super easy pasta with peas, ricotta and bacon is one of my favorite quick pasta meals. It comes together in no time and is so tasty!
Table of contents
Tip from Simone
While this pasta is super quick to make you can add more vegetables if you want. It would go really well with chopped and sautéed zucchini or why not try it with eggplant? (gotta love eggplant right?) You can also switch up things by swapping the ricotta for a creamy gorgonzola. or check this pasta with gorgonzola.
Recipe Ingredients
For making this delicious and easy pasta dish you do not need a whole lot of ingredients. I’m giving the main ingredients below, but make sure to double check the exact needs in the recipe card.
- ricotta – the base of this delicious pasta dish is a creamy ricotta. It can be replaced with a bit of cream cheese or gorgonzola if you prefer.
- pasta – I use orecchiette here but any short pasta type will do. Make sure to reserve a bit of the pasta cooking water to add to the sauce and make it extra creamy
- peas – I used frozen green peas, but you can absolutely add more vegetables with broccoli, zucchini or eggplant if you want. Spinach would be great here too
- bacon – optional and can be removed if you want to make this a vegetarian dish
- Parmesan – for sprinkling over the top
How To Make Pasta with Ricotta and Peas
Back in the day when Tom and I still lived together I had to wait for him to be out of the house before I could make delicious dishes like this. He didn’t like cheesy dishes or dishes that were too creamy. Such a shame! And creamy this dish definitely is!
You start by cooking the pasta, drain it and reserve some of the cooking water. Fry the bacon in a dry skillet. Remove from the pan and let it drain on paper towels to crisp up. In the meantime add the frozen peas to the pan with about 4 tablespoons of the cooking water. Gently simmer for a few minutes. Add the pasta and stir together.
Add the ricotta and let it melt into the pasta until you have a creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper if needed and serve the pasta with ricotta, peas and the crispy bacon on top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
Storing Pasta with Ricotta
You can easily store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep in mind that the pasta will become firmer, so you might need some extra water or a splash of cream to loosen the sauce again when reheating.
Reheating can be done in the microwave or a skillet. I don’t actually own a microwave so I always reheat in a pan.
More Easy Pasta Dishes
I love a good pasta dish, that can’t come as a big surprise, so I have quite a few easy pasta dishes. A few favorites!
- Cannelloni with Swiss Chard
- 10 Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
- 16 Easy Pasta Recipes
- Pasta with zucchini and chorizo
Pasta with Peas, Ricotta and Bacon
Ingredients
- 300 g pasta any shape will work
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 75 g diced bacon
- 250 g frozen green peas
- 125 g ricotta cheese
- Fresh basil for serving
- 5 g Parmesan cheese grated, for serving
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until golden brown and crispy.
- Add the frozen peas and about 4 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook until the peas are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir in the ricotta until everything is well combined and coated in a creamy sauce.
- If you’d like a creamier consistency, add a little extra ricotta or some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
