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Home » Dinners & Main Course » Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon Jessica Randhawa
September 28, 2021
4.79 from 150 votes


Last Updated September 28, 2021 | 10 Comments

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Pasta with Bacon and Peas Pinterest Pin image
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This creamy pasta with bacon and peas is an easy one-pan dinner recipe made with simple pantry ingredients. Flavorful, delicious, and perfect for busy weeknights!

Overhead image of creamy bacon and pea pasta on a white serving plate.

Easy Bacon Pea Pasta

If you’re craving comfort food then you are going to love this bacon and pea pasta. Quick and delicious, it’s similar in taste to classic Italian carbonara – minus the egg.

Made with spaghetti noodles tossed in a light parmesan cream sauce and filled with loads of bacon and peas, this easy bacon and pea pasta is a true winner and family favorite.

Perfect any time of year, rain or shine, I love serving this recipe with a simple side salad or buttery garlic bread.

Image of spaghetti noodle pasta with bacon and peas in a cream sauce and garnished with fresh parmesan cheese and black pepper.

How to Make Pasta with Bacon and Peas

  1. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. The plan is to cook the bacon and make the sauce while the water comes to a boil and the pasta is cooking.
  2. Grab a large pan, skillet, or Dutch oven to cook everything in.
  3. Cook the bacon until it is fully cooked, crispy, and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pan, but leave rendered bacon grease in the pot.
  4. Cook the onion in the bacon grease until softened, then add the garlic.
  5. Stir in the chicken broth and the frozen (or fresh) peas. Cook for a few minutes before adding the heavy cream.
  6. Bring to a gentle simmer (avoid boiling heavy cream), and stir in half of the grated parmesan cheese.
  7. Add the cooked bacon and spaghetti noodles to the sauce and gently toss to combine.
  8. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Add the remaining parmesan cheese over the top.
Close up image of spaghetti noodle pasta with bacon and peas in a cream sauce and garnished with fresh parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • I used spaghetti to make this recipe, but feel free to use any pasta noodle including linguine, fettuccine, or angel hair or small to medium-size pasta shape such as bowtie, shells, rotini, fusilli, rigatoni, etc.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan cheese – not the powdered stuff or pre-shredded kind that comes in a bag. The flavor will be better overall and there won’t be any weird clumping.
  • Expect to add a little bit of liquid (cream, chicken broth, etc) before reheating leftovers. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave, gently stir and continue to heat until the desired temperature is reached.
  • Thick-cut pork bacon will give the best flavor. Turkey bacon or pre-cooked bacon bits is not recommended. You may also swap the bacon with prosciutto or pancetta, if desired.
Overhead image of spaghetti noodles in a cream sauce with bacon and peas.

Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Try these reader favorites:

  • Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chicken
  • Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
  • Creamy Penne Pasta Recipe
  • Ground Turkey Pasta Recipe
  • Easy Bacon Broccoli Pasta Recipe
  • Pasta Primavera Recipe

Did you try this creamy pasta with bacon and peas?

Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.

Overhead image of spaghetti noodles in a cream sauce with bacon and peas.

Pasta with Bacon and Peas

4.79 from 150 votes
Chef: Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa
This creamy pasta with bacon and peas is an easy one-pan dinner recipe made with simple pantry ingredients. Flavorful, delicious, and perfect for busy weeknights!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 705 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
  • 12 ounces thick-cut bacon - diced into small pieces
  • ½ onion - minced (or 2 shallots)
  • 3 cloves garlic - minced
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese - grated
  • reserved pasta water - see notes
  • salt and black pepper - to taste
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Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I usually add at least 1 tablespoon of salt) and cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions (or until al dente). Reserve 1 cup of boiling pasta water before draining. Set the pasta aside.
  • As the pasta cooks, cook the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium to medium-high heat until it is cooked, crispy, and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Set the pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion in the rendered bacon fat until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and continue to cook for an additional 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken broth and the frozen peas. Cook just until the peas have thawed then stir in the heavy cream (adding more cream for a richer sauce).
  • Bring to a gentle simmer and stir in half of the grated parmesan cheese.
  • Return the cooked bacon to the sauce and add the cooked pasta. Gently toss to combine. Slowly add some of the reserved pasta water, as needed to thin the sauce.
  • Season with additional salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining grated parmesan cheese.

Jessica’s Notes

  • This recipe can be made with any pasta shape or pasta noodle.
  • This recipe is best when it is made with heavy cream. Add more heavy cream to make a heavier, richer, cream sauce.
  • The reserved pasta water is already hot, salty, and starchy. Reserve at least one cup and add to the sauce if needed.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 883mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 2mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Bacon Pea Pasta, Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Did You Make This Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @theforkedspoon or tag #theforkedspoon and please leave your star rating in the comment section below.

About Jessica

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

541 shares
Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

About Jessica Randhawa

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

Comments

  1. Rebecca K says

    September 20, 2022 at 1:15 pm

    4 stars
    It was ok to me but my whole family complained of too much bacon grease in the sauce. I wish I had followed my first instinct and drained half the fat. Next time I’ll try that and add more chicken broth and cream and I think it will be just right.

    Reply
  2. LORI says

    August 31, 2022 at 7:31 am

    5 stars
    YUM! (And it is easy.)

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      August 31, 2022 at 10:39 am

      Thanks for the yummy feedback and rating, Lori 😀

      Reply
  3. Emily says

    July 26, 2022 at 3:44 pm

    If I don’t have heavy cream on hand, could I use milk or buttermilk as a replacement?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      July 26, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      Definitely not buttermilk.

      You can try milk, but the milk might separate.

      Heavy cream would be best 🙂

      Reply
    • Nicole says

      August 11, 2022 at 6:31 pm

      You can also use cream cheese instead of heave cream and the pasta water to thin it out.

      Reply
  4. Marsha says

    May 30, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    My parmesan turned to goo

    Reply
    • PeggyAnn Cramer says

      June 29, 2022 at 2:40 pm

      If you heat the sauce very slowly and stir quite often, it doesn’t do that.

      Reply
  5. May Ally says

    March 14, 2022 at 10:49 am

    5 stars
    Really great recipe! Prosciutto + Peas + Pasta is one of my favorites and using bacon works well, too. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      March 14, 2022 at 1:34 pm

      Thanks for the really great feedback, May Ally 🙂

      Reply

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Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

I’m Jessica! Aka mom, wife, chef, and travel-obsessed photographer. Welcome to The Forked Spoon. Here you can browse hundreds of incredible family-friendly recipes covering dozens of diets, courses, and cuisines. Learn more about me.

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