Baby Farfalle with a Creamy Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce

This is one of those meals that tastes so miraculous, yet it all comes together with leftovers. Half a box of pasta, half a pack of bacon, some leftover peas from dinner the other night, mint from the garden, and just the right amount of Parmesan cheese.  It's a creamy, cheesy, comforting and pleasing meal that was heaven sent. Plus, it all comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

Pasta with a Creamy Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Serves 4-6 (I halved the recipe)

10 slices smoked bacon or pancetta

a small bunch of fresh mint

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound dried mini shell or other type of pasta

olive oil

a pat of butter

2 cups frozen peas

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 lemon

6 ounces Parmesan cheese

To prepare your pasta:

Finely slice the bacon.  Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Finely grate the Parmesan.

To cook your pasta:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Add the mini pasta and cook according to the package instructions.  Get a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a good lug of olive oil and the butter.  Add the bacon to the pan, sprinkle a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp.  Meanwhile, finely chop your mint leaves.  As soon as the bacon is golden, add your frozen peas and give the pan a good shake.  After a minute or so, add the heavy cream and chopped mint to the bacon and peas.  Drain the pasta in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water.  Add the pasta to the frying pan.  Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta.  When it's all bubbling away nicely, remove from the heat.  It's really important that the sauce is creamy, silky, and delicious but if it's too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit.  Add the grated Parmesan and give the pan a shake to mix it in.

To serve your pasta:

Divide your pasta between plates or bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves.  Lovely with a simply dressed green salad.

Notes/Results:  I absolutely loved this recipe!  Creamy, cheesy, bacony...delicious.  I do want to note that I needed to use a touch more cream to bring it all together, but otherwise it was perfect!

If you're celebrating the Memorial Day holiday have a great weekend!!

Baked Camembert Pasta

Imagine a gorgeous little box of Camembert covered in sliced garlic, herbs and a little bit of olive oil.  Now imagine that gorgeous little box of Camembert coming out of the oven all bubbly and melty and gooey and lovely....and then pouring that gorgeous cheese all over a bowl of pasta. 

The best part is, you don't have to imagine.  You can make it too!

Baked Camembert Pasta

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Serves 4-6

1 x 8 ounce box of Camembert cheese

2 cloves of garlic

1 sprig of fresh rosemary (I used basil)

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound dried rigatoni (I used shells)

6 cups (approx. 6 ounces) fresh spinach leaves (I omitted since I didn't have any on hand)

4 ounces Parmesan cheese

To prepare your pasta:

Preheat your oven to 350F. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it.  Place it back in the wooden container. Score a circle into the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.  Peel and finely slice the garlic.  Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalk.  Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese, sprinkle with some pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.  Scatter over the rosemary leaves and gently pat with your fingers to coat them in the oil.  Grate the Parmesan.

To cook your pasta:

Place the box of cheese on a cookie sheet and put it into the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden and melted.  Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  When your cheese has 10 minutes left to cook, add the rigatoni to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.  When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach to the pan - it only needs cooking for 10 seconds or so.  Drain the pasta and spinach in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water.  Return the pasta and spinach to the pan and let it wilt.  Drizzle with a couple of good lugs of extra virgin olive oil and add the grated Parmesan.  If the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out a bit.  Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.  Remove the cheese from the oven.

To serve your pasta:

Divide the pasta between your serving bowls.  Either drizzle the melted Camembert on top or pop the box of cheese on the table and let everyone help themselves to a lovely, gooey spoonful.