This easy and creamy pasta and peas recipe by Jamie Oliver is a quick, satisfying meal perfect for any day. With crispy bacon, fresh mint, and Parmesan, it’s a simple yet flavorful dish. You can easily swap ingredients like pasta or cheese to suit what you have in your kitchen.
Ingredients Needed
- 6 slices of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
- ½ a bunch of fresh mint (15g)
- 100g (1 cup) Parmesan cheese, grated
- Optional: 1 organic chicken stock cube
- 400g (14 oz) dried mini shell pasta
- Olive oil, a drizzle
- 300g (10.5 oz) frozen peas
- 2 heaped dessertspoons half-fat crème fraîche
- 1 lemon
How To Make Pasta And Peas
- Prepare the Ingredients: Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Grate the Parmesan.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. If using, add the stock cube and stir until dissolved. Add the mini-shell pasta and cook according to the packet instructions.
- Fry the Bacon: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the bacon, sprinkle with pepper, and fry until golden and crisp.
- Add the Peas and Mint: Meanwhile, finely chop the mint leaves. Once the bacon is golden, add the frozen peas and give the pan a good shake. After 1 minute, stir in the crème fraîche and chopped mint.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the frying pan and squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
- Adjust the Sauce: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
- Serve: Divide the pasta between plates or serve in a large dish. Pair with a simply dressed green salad.
Recipe Tips
- Use mini-shell pasta: The small size allows the creamy sauce to coat each piece perfectly, but if you don’t have it, any pasta will work. Just adjust the cooking time.
- Crisp the bacon well: Make sure the bacon gets golden and crispy for the best texture and flavor. Don’t rush this step.
- Reserve pasta water: Keep a bit of the pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce if it gets too thick. It helps make the sauce smooth.
- Squeeze lemon just before serving: Fresh lemon juice adds brightness to the dish. Add it at the end for a burst of flavor without cooking it away.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover pasta and peas cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the pasta in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or milk for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 of 4 servings
- Calories: 674
- Total Fat: 20.3g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3g
- Total Carbohydrate: 85.9g
- Sugars: 5.3g
- Protein: 33.5g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Pasta Primavera
- Jamie Oliver Pasta Puttanesca
- Jamie Oliver Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
- Jamie Oliver Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce
Jamie Oliver Pasta And Peas
Description
This easy and creamy pasta and peas recipe by Jamie Oliver is a quick, satisfying meal perfect for any day. With crispy bacon, fresh mint, and Parmesan, it’s a simple yet flavorful dish. You can easily swap ingredients like pasta or cheese to suit what you have in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Grate the Parmesan.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. If using, add the stock cube and stir until dissolved. Add the mini-shell pasta and cook according to the packet instructions.
- Fry the Bacon: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the bacon, sprinkle with pepper, and fry until golden and crisp.
- Add the Peas and Mint: Meanwhile, finely chop the mint leaves. Once the bacon is golden, add the frozen peas and give the pan a good shake. After 1 minute, stir in the crème fraîche and chopped mint.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the frying pan and squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
- Adjust the Sauce: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin it out. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
- Serve: Divide the pasta between plates or serve in a large dish. Pair with a simply dressed green salad.
Notes
- Use mini-shell pasta: The small size allows the creamy sauce to coat each piece perfectly, but if you don’t have it, any pasta will work. Just adjust the cooking time.
- Crisp the bacon well: Make sure the bacon gets golden and crispy for the best texture and flavor. Don’t rush this step.
- Reserve pasta water: Keep a bit of the pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce if it gets too thick. It helps make the sauce smooth.
- Squeeze lemon just before serving: Fresh lemon juice adds brightness to the dish. Add it at the end for a burst of flavor without cooking it away.
Jamie Oliver Pasta And Peas