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One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta

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This One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta recipe is super quick and easy to put together – even the pasta gets cooked right in the creamy sauce!

This One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta recipe is super quick and easy to put together - even the pasta gets cooked right in the creamy sauce!

“That’s just something I’ll never do!”

Sound familiar? Well, I guess most of us have been there.

We insist on totally not being that girl who runs after every trend but then we cave and buy alll the PSLs our Starbucks has to offer during fall.

We claim we will not ever let our boyfriend see us without makeup, even after getting married. Riiight.

And I’ve been known to shout it from the rooftops – nope, I’m not going to make one pot pastas.

No, that’s not exactly what I said. It was more along the lines of “yeah sure, I’ll continue cooking seven course meals, three times a day with a baby. She’ll sleep all day long anyways.”

And do you know what happened next? This One Pot Spinach Pea Pasta, that’s what.

Ingrediens for one pot pea and bacon pasta.

Even though I struggled with coming to terms with the fact that motherhood also meant not cooking fancy oyster and caviar concoctions (I’m exaggerating) – secretly I SO fell in love with the beauty of simple cooking.

I mean, did you see the amount of dishes there’s to wash after a one pot meal? It’s like a dream come true.

I’ve made this particular pea and bacon pasta a few times now and this is definitely my favorite version I’m sharing with you today.

I tried cooking it in cream, I tried adding lemon zest and chili and I tried various amounts of cheese.

While I do encourage you to try the lemon zest/chili thingy if you like your food with a punch, the recipe works pretty much perfectly otherwise and you will end up with a lovely pot full of fragrant, creamy bacon pasta.

And all you’ll have to wash up is one pot.

This One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta recipe is super quick and easy to put together - even the pasta gets cooked right in the creamy sauce!

OK, maybe a chopping board and knife as well.

Now one more thing: I know not everyone appreciates a post full of process pictures and a lot of people want to get to the recipe straight away without too much scrolling.

For those who still like the guidance of process pictures, you can download a PDF of the one pot pea and bacon pasta recipe with step-by-step pictures here. For everyone else – I’ll be quiet now 🙂

4.2 from 5 votes
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One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta Recipe

This One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta recipe is super quick and easy to put together - even the pasta gets cooked right in the creamy sauce!
Course Dinner, One Pot Dinner
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 515 kcal
Author Nora

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon chopped
  • 12.5 ounces uncooked mini pasta shells 355g
  • 3 cups chicken stock 700ml
  • 1 1/4 cups whole OR low-fat milk 295ml
  • 1 cup frozen peas 140g
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup sour cream 110g, reduced fat is fine
  • 1.5 ounces parmesan shredded, 42g
  • Parsley chopped
  • Extra cheese and parsley optional

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat and cook the bacon until it’s browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Leave as much or as little bacon fat in the pot as you like.
  2. Pour the stock and milk into the hot pan (carful about splattering!) and add the pasta shells, peas and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for about 7 minutes or until the pasta is ready.
  3. Take the pot off the heat and quickly stir in the sour cream.
  4. Add the cheese, parsley and crispy bacon to the pasta and combine.
  5. Serve immediately with extra cheese and parsley if you like.

Recipe Notes

Inspired by Jamie Oliver

Use sour cream with added herbs, if available. This will add loads of interesting flavors to this pasta dish.

Do you really need another one pot pasta recipe? Why yes, you do! This one is easy, creamy and full of delicious bacon flavor - almost like a carbonara! Made simple by using cream cheese instead of making a separate cheese sauce. A healthy dose of green peas turn this into a hearty and filling weeknight meal the kids will love. Try this for dinner tonight - your family will thank you!
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Comments

    • I’m hardly any cooler than you – I’m still dreaming of those cookie tacos! Yeah, good old bacon… Always a winner 😀

      Reply

  3. One pot dishes are seriously the best, the less cleanup the better! I’m loving that this comes together in 20 minutes too! Plus bacon and peas hold a special place in my heart, I love them both 😉

    Reply

  4. Soooo I’m just gonna sit here and swoon in pleasure at all this bacon-filled one pot-edness awesomeness going on. Hooooly MOLY this is how you do a Thursday-night dinner. Possibly even breakfast because it just looks that awesome. 😉

    Reply

  6. OMGosh Nora – first of all – those are *gorgeous* photos! I want to reach through the screen and devour that pasta. I have been literally *craving* peas lately. I don’t know why, but I want peas on my salad, as a side dish, etc., yet it never occurred to me to put them in pasta. And now, I want that so bad! 🙂 Pinned!

    Reply

  7. One pot meals are such a thing of beauty these days….screaming baby on my hip, not so much. 😉
    Pinned! Everything is gorgeous as always!

    Reply

    • Haha Mariah, I’m getting used to the screaming baby on my hip – though it’s getting better, as long as she’s allowed to peak in my pots and pans 😉

      Reply

  8. All the yeses! I need more recipes like this in my life. I am the WORST at getting my act together for dinner. Never mind a 7 course meal. I can barely even find anything to eat once 6pm strikes. So easy, peasy it has to be it. Love it!

    Reply

  9. I really love the beauty of simple cooking too. I mean it is easy to slave over a stove and make an impressive meal, but it is not so easy to make an impressive meal with one pot and just 30 minutes! 🙂

    Reply

  11. This is the perfect meal for those chaotic week nights when I’ve got two toddlers screaming for my attention, I’m definitely going to be trying this. Thank you for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays 🙂

    Reply

  12. What an easy pasta dish! I love when a meal doesn’t require lots of pots and bowls to prepare it. This would be a perfect meal for our Monday nights. I always struggle at the start of the week. As this meal is so easy, I might even have time to make some bread to go with it xx

    Reply

    • I struggle with this as well, Lisa! My baby can’t eat everything from the table yet so I’m usually cooking her baby food and then I’m like – phew, can’t do an adult meal now! Easy meals are definitely needed 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  17. Wonderpots are my new obsession. And even though I do have a weakness for crazy elaborate meals (high five!) I still am spellbound with one-pot recipes! Thank you so much for sharing yours!

    Reply

  20. Nora, your photos are so gorgeous!! I’m not a huge fan of one pot pastas, mainly because I hadn’t found one I like, but I want to try this one!

    Reply

    • Awww, thanks Beth! I wasn’t so convinced about the whole one pot pasta deal for a long time but it’s too simple to pass up 🙂

      Reply

  22. I am totally on-board with the one-pot and skillet meal trends currently happening. I usually kick and fight against all the foodie tides (STILL completely anti- Quinoa!), but those ones? Totally sold. Heck – last year I even caved and bought BAKERS TWINE and FANCY PAPER STRAWS! OH THE HORROR! 😉

    Reply

    • This seriously made me LOL 😀 PAPER STRAWS, whyyyyy are they so cute?! I have to buy every single one I come across and I feel so terrible about it, haha! And baker’s twine is so on my amazon list for the holiday season…. Ugh!!

      Reply

  25. This meal may be simple as you call it, but it’s pure comfort food and the flavors are just perfect! I love pastas like this, Nora, and I can’t wait to make a big pot!

    Reply

    • You absolutely do need to try it, I was SO sceptical at first but it’s easy and so delicious 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Cate!

      Reply

  28. Is “sour cream with herbs” a European or Swiss thing? We only have plain old sour cream here in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Looks like a great, easy recipe though!

    Reply

    • Hmmm, I never thought about that before! Maybe it is a European thing? It works great with plain sour cream and fresh herbs as well, though 😉 Thanks for pointing it out, Randy!

      Reply

      • I was thinking the same thing. I don’t believe I have ever seen sour cream with herbs, here in Virginia either. What fresh herbs would you recommend that would complement the dish?

        Reply

        • That’s so interesting Erin, I thought we were pretty behind on such things here, haha! You can use really any fresh garden herbs you have on hand. Flat-leaf parsley, chives and maybe a bit of thyme I imagine would be lovely.

          Reply

  29. I can’t wait to try this! I’ll have to have it as a side dish because my husband will be looking for the main meat entre, lol

    Reply

  30. I tried this, but the recipe seems off. Wound up with pasta soup – way too much liquid.
    Too bad, because I really wanted to like it.

    Reply

    • Hi Mary, I’m so sorry you had troubles with the recipe. I’ve made it many times and never had this happen. Feel free to eMail me if you want to troubleshoot together!

      Have a lovely day!
      Nora

      Reply

  31. Nora, this pasta is easy peasy to make & delicious! (No pun intended). Made it for lunch & so g-o-od…that I served it for dinner with salmon the same night. Thank you so much. Truly a gem of a recipe!

    Reply

    • I’m so happy to read this, Lindsey! It’s always great to get positive recipe reviews, and I really appreciate you took the time to write one.

      I hope you’re having a wonderful day!

      Reply

  32. Where has this recipe been all my life? Added 1/2 onion chopped and some sliced mushrooms. Used 1 lb thin spaghetti broken in half with 1 container low sodium chicken broth. What a fantastically easy one pot. Adding to the repetoire. Everyone ~ teens, hubby and grandma loved it!

    Reply

    • I’m very happy to read this, Claudia! And your additions sound delicious – absolutely have to try that myself 🙂 Thanks for reporting back, I appreciate you taking the time!

      Reply

  33. Do you think I could make this with more pasta? The box has 16 oz so I thought about just using the whole thing. Would that throw off the ratios too much?

    Reply

    • Hi Shannon, that’s quite a bit more pasta. It will still work, but you’ll have to add another cup of either milk or stock. And adjust to your preferences when it comes to the peas and sour cream – you might want to add a little extra. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  34. Hello,

    I somehow found your recipe for One Pot Pea and Bacon Pasta, and I cannot wait to try it. I found the nutritional info on MyFitnessPal after I did a search for it. I was wondering if you have the nutritional info too, and if there is some way of printing the recipe with it.

    Many thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi Sandy, I went ahead and added the nutritional information caloriecount.com is giving me. It’s using whole milk and full fat sour cream, using low fat will reduce the calories by about 30 per portion. If you print the recipe now, the nutritional info should be on the recipe. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  35. Found the recipe through MyFitnessPal and tried it tonight. It was a hit! I am wondering if you have ever tried freezing the leftovers and how it turns out reheated. (Maybe without the parsley?)

    Reply

    • Hi Sherry, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I generally don’t recommend freezing or even reheating leftover one pot pasta, simply because the pasta tend to soak up the entire liquid and it somehow ends up dry and mushy at the same time. If you have lots of leftovers you don’t want to waste and don’t mind very soft pasta, I don’t see why freezing and reheating with extra liquid wouldn’t work. Just know that the texture will definitely be affected. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  36. This sounds so yummy but I am a super taster and don’t like sour cream at all. Would Ricotta work instead or could I just leave it out? I can’t wait to try this! I love frozen baby peas and bacon and I know my mom will love this too. One pot pasta is the bomb! Who doesn’t like something that is cooked in one pot with hardly any clean up?

    Reply

    • Hi Gail, absolutely, ricotta would be AMAZING in this! Hope you and your mom will enjoy the pasta – one pot with hardly any clean up real is the best kind of dinner, right?!

      Reply

  37. I have to say we had the ricotta and my mom being Italian it was already made and frozen with all the herbs and spices. Yum! It was really good with the ricotta and both mom and I loved it! We have non stick pots so I had to wash it instead of putting it in the dishwasher but cooking in one pot is amazing! I wish I could cook everything in one pot!

    Reply

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