Everyday Food (March 2008)
Everyday Food continues to be an excellent resource for quick and delicious meals. The recipes are easy, call for few ingredients, and are extremely accessible to cooks of all skill-levels.
When the March issue arrived, we were eager to try the cover recipe, Fresh Angel-Hair Pasta with Bacon and Peas. Finding ourselves in need of a quick dinner on a weekday night, we gave it a whirl.
Without fresh pasta on hand, we used dried fettuccine that we had in the pantry. The recipe is a snap -- cooking some bacon, sauteeing some shallots, adding some peas and half-and-half, and then tossing with pasta. (It's basically pasta carbonara without eggs. Or cheese. Plus peas. Okay, it's nothing like pasta carbonara.)
Our sauce took longer than two minutes to thicken, which caused our peas to become a tad overcooked. Still, the result was delicious and comforting.
Here's the recipe and cover photo from the magazine. Enjoy!
Fresh Angel-Hair Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Everyday Food (March 2008)
Serves 4 to 6
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
* 1 box (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 18 ounces fresh angel-hair pasta
Directions
1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain (leave fat in skillet).
2. Add shallots to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add peas and half-and-half; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to combine, adding some reserved pasta water a little at a time to coat. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve immediately.
