Orecchiette With Bacon + Peas
How cute are these tiny pasta shells?! They are called orecchiette and I can barely pronounce it, but they are truly so yummy. I love how they hold on to sauce. They offer a really great texture too. Earlier this year while we were just beginning our ‘shelter in place’ journey I added white wine to butter and the rest is history! Dan suggested I added bacon which really ramped up the entire dish. The peas were my idea for a little sweetness. Now we make this pasta dish at least once a week. I guess you can say this is one (of the many ;) great things to come out of being made to stay home for weeks on end!
If you are scared of cooking with wine, I hope this simple recipe eases you into it. Also, don’t worry your whole family can enjoy this dish, as the alcohol gets cooked out while making the sauce. Only the delicious flavor is left behind. My four year old Mila loves this pasta! Let me know if you add this to your weeknight dinner rotation!
Orecchiette With Bacon + Peas
Ingredients
1 pound orecchiette pasta
1 pound bacon
3 tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup white wine
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 tbs dried oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 cup frozen peas
Serves About Six
Cook Time 30 Minutes
Directions
Step 1: In a dutch oven start by browning your bacon. I like to use scissors and cut it into small pieces directly into the pot! Stir and cook until bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside on a plate lined with a dish towel or paper towel.
Step 2: In a large pot start boiling water. Be sure to add about 1 tablespoon of salt to your water. You’ll want to boil your pasta in salted boiling water to flavor your pasta as it cooks. Once your water is boiling, add your pasta and cook until al dente. Al dente just means that your pasta should still have a little bite to it rather than be completely soft/mushy. *IMPORTANT! Be sure to reserve 1 cup of your pasta water to use in your sauce.
Step 3: On medium heat in the same pot you browned the bacon in, add in your white wine. You should see/hear a little steam as you deglaze the bottom of the pot with the wine. You can add any white wine you like here. A good rule of thumb when cooking with wine is to only use wine that you’d normally drink. I love using a Pinot Grigio. Once you add in your white wine use a wooden spoon and gently scrape the browned bacon bits of the bottom of the pot! Truly that is where all the yummy flavor lives!
Step 4: Add in your butter and garlic. You can also add in some salt and pepper to taste here if you’d like here. Continue stirring as your butter melts into the wine.
Step 5: To make more of a thicker sauce use your cup of reserved pasta water and pour it directly into your butter wine sauce. *Pasta water is the water you are boiling your pasta in. Using pasta water will help bind everything together and give your sauce a great texture.
Step 6: Once your pasta is al dente, strain it and add it right into the pot with the butter wine sauce. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Step 7: Add in your peas and stir. You can add frozen peas right in as the heat from the pasta and sauce will cook the peas perfectly.
Step 8: Lastly, add in your bacon, oregano, and Parmesan. Stir to make sure everything is combined and serve hot!
Step 9: I love sprinkling red pepper flakes on top and enjoying right away!