I love a good Italian restaurant. You know the kind that’s staffed with actual Italian people who speak Italian and the decor is Italian and the wine is Italian? Oh and as soon as you sit down, they give you free bread with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette? Those kinds are my favorite and if ever anyone asks me to suggest a place for dinner, I’m almost always going to suggest an Italian restaurant.
Now, as much as I’d love to, I can’t always indulge at a restaurant. Sometimes I gotta fend for myself when the cravings hit so, I was home one day and concocted this recipe of salty carby cheesy goodness. And hey, I threw in some peas in there too because you know, veggies!
If there was one dish that always makes me feel fat and happy after, its gotta be pasta. And you know what, I never have any regrets. It makes me satisfy every carb loving, cheese craving, salty fiend bone in my body.
Bacon, Shrimp and Peas Pasta Recipe!
First, let’s all take a moment and give gratitude to whoever invented pasta. I hope this person knew how happy they made so many people!
Anywho, I’m going to try and type up this bacon, shrimp and peas pasta recipe while trying not to drool in the process because it is so dang good! Again, very little ingredients…you know how I roll! And again, very easy to make! I cannot and will not make anything that requires a thousand ingredients and a bajillion steps. So if you’re into a quick, delicious, indulgent, yet inexpensive to make pasta recipe….keep on reading!
But before you begin….
- Pour yourself a glass of red.
- Put on some Italian music to set the mood.
- Put on your stretchy pants for when you devour this deliciousness.
How To Make Bacon, Shrimp and Peas Pasta
- Cook the penne pasta per package directions and save 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside.
- Prep the ingredients: mince the garlic, chop the shallots, clean and devein the shrimp and separate 1/2 a cup of butter in 3 equal parts.
- In a large deep sauté pan, fry the bacon until crispy and set it aside on a paper towel lined plate.
- Discard half of the bacon grease and keep the other half in the pan.
- Add 1 part of the butter into the pan and on medium heat, cook the shrimp until its nice and pink. Set it aside.
- Add the 2nd pice of butter and sauté the garlic and the shallots for 2-3 minutes. This is going to smell Ah-Mazing!
- Add the cooked pasta and fold it into the garlic and shallots.
- Add the 3rd part of the butter as you are mixing the pasta and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add the frozen green peas and let it cook for another minute.
- Add the parmesan cheese a little at a time while adding the pasta water to break up the cheese. Do this slowly so you achieve the right consistency and texture.
- Add the cooked bacon and shrimp and serve in a large deep dish.
- Top with more Parmesan cheese!
Check Out These Other Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
Bacon, Shrimp and Peas Pasta
Equipment
- Large Pot with lid
- Large Deep Saute Pan
- Wooden Slotted Spoon
- Large Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter cut into 3 equal parts
- 3 Medium sized shallots, diced
- 6 Cloves of garlic, minced
- 12 Pieces of raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 1 package Penne pasta
- 1 cup Frozen peas
- 1 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Pasta water
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta per package directions and reserve about a cup of pasta water.
- On medium high heat, fry the bacon and set it aside on a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the grease.
- Discard 1/2 of the bacon grease and leave the rest in the pan.
- Once the bacon has cooled, cut it up into bite size pieces.
- Add part 1 of the butter into the pan and on medium heat, cook the shrimp until it's halfway done about 2 minutes on each side or until you see it turn pink. Set it aside. (The shrimp will finish cooking when you add it back dto the pan later.)
- Add part 2 of the butter to the pan and on low to medium heat, sauté the garlic for about 2 minutes making sure it doesnt burn. Add the shallots and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta in batches while mixing in the garlic and shallots. Fold in the rest of the butter as you are mixing the pasta. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add the frozen peas and mix well.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and fold it in the pasta adding pasta water a little at a time to break up the noodles.
- Add the bacon and shrimp that you set aside earlier and mix it all together.
- Serve on a deep dish and top with more Parmesan cheese.