Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Bacon and peas pasta with mint

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

200 g back bacon, diced

1 cup/ 250 g frozen peas

2 Tbsp olive oil

500 g full cream

Handful spearmint, chopped

Handful Italian parsley, stems remove, leaves chopped

500 g spaghetti or linguine

1 or 2 ladles of retained pasta water

200 g grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Use a big, wide pan for the sauce rather than a deep pot.

Boil the peas in lightly salted water till al dente, drain and keep aside. Dice the bacon and fry in a little olive oil till crisp. Add the peas and cream. Season with salt and pepper and simmer to reduce the cream over a moderate heat. Add finely grated Parmesan, as much as you like or about 200 g.

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water till al dente.

Add the chopped mint and parsley to the sauce.

Use a slotted spoon to pick up pasta, drain it, and add it to the sauce; repeat until all used. Stir it around to coat all the pasta with sauce. Add a ladle or two of the pasta water to the creamed sauce; this emulsifies it. Reduce down a little more, taste for seasoning and adjust if you need to, and serve. DM/TGIFood

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