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This Orzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas is made in one pot and loaded with texture and flavor. It's an easy weeknight dinner you'll want to make again and again.
Spring is a liminal season of change and growth. It's often depicted as quaint and pretty with blossoms and baby animals and soft pastels. There certainly can be that lighter element to Spring energy, and we should embrace it. But Spring can also be volatile, full of wild shifts in weather, and in some cases, extreme storms like floods and tornadoes that can bring vast swaths of destruction.
It's a reminder that growth and change is beautiful and nourishing, but it's not always soft and easy. Transmutation can sometimes be explosive or destructive. Before a butterfly can emerge from its cocoon, it must completely decompose and restructure itself. Before a lobster can grow, it experiences intense pressure that causes it to shed its protective shell completely, leaving it totally vulnerable while the new, bigger shell grows in its place. Change is powerful. Are you ready for it?
What makes Orzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas so awesome?
Luckily, there are easy and beautiful Spring recipes like Orzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas that you can make in a flash while you battle the ever changing elements of nature and your inner world. Okay, maybe that segue was a bit too deep, but this recipe is super easy to make and so delicious it almost feels like cheating. The pasta cooks in just enough water to become your sauce at the end, so everything can be made in one skillet.
And you definitely don't need to wait for peas to be in season. Use frozen peas (which are probably fresher than the ones you'll get from major supermarkets anyway) for ease and quick cooking. And definitely don't skimp on the Parmesan cheese here. The deep umami flavors from the bacon and cheese marry well with the sweet peas, and the chewy orzo makes this a pleasure to eat.
Magical Properties of Peas
Peas are native to England, so there are some lovely little folk uses for these green pods. It was once said that if you find a pod containing exactly nine peas, you should hang it over your door to attract your future husband. Some said the next eligible man to walk through the door would become your husband. Peas tucked safely in their pod are also symbolic of protection. And as with most things, peas are a symbol of abundance. Shelling peas by hand was believed to bring more profits to your business.
For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe. Details are in the recipe card below.
- Garlic-infused olive oil - If you don't have garlic oil, you can add a cracked clove of garlic to the oil as its heating or simply chop some garlic and add it to the recipe if you want a stronger flavor.
- Bacon - That's streaky bacon for my UK friends.
- Frozen peas
- Orzo pasta
- Boiling water - Put your kettle on to make sure the water is already as near to boiling as possible when you add it to the pan.
- Butter - Salted is fine, but maybe taste before adding too much salt at the end.
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Tips for making Orzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas
All the best recipes start by cooking chopped bacon in a skillet until crisp. This one is no different. Once your bacon is cooked, you'll add the peas, stirring them in the bacon grease. Then stir in the orzo, coating the grains of pasta in the bacon grease before adding your just boiled water. You'll let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked and the water is absorbed. It takes about 10 minutes.
Then stir in butter and Parmesan cheese. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper to taste. That's it. How easy is that?
When life gets complicated, you need an easy and delicious dinner to fuel your growth. This Orzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas will definitely keep you going.
Looking for more awesome pasta recipes? Try this Chicken & Goat Cheese Pasta or some Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta.
PrintOrzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas
This Orzo Pasta with Bacon and Peas is made in one pot and loaded with texture and flavor. It's an easy weeknight dinner you'll want to make again and again.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- 6 ounces bacon, chopped
- 1-¼ cups frozen peas
- 8 ounces orzo
- 2-½ cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat garlic-infused olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon pieces, and cook until crispy. If you have a large amount of grease, pour some of it off until you have just a few tablespoons left in the pan.
- Add in the peas and stir them to coat in the bacon grease. Cook for about a minute until they've lost their frozen look.
- Add the pasta to the pan and stir it all up to get that bacon grease everywhere. Add in the boiling water, and simmer until the pasta is cooked and the water has been mostly absorbed. You'll want to stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Adjust seasonings and serve hot.
Keywords: Pasta, Bacon, Peas
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Michelle Hauser says
It was excellent but it needed a lot more boiling water to get the pasta cooked. I just kept adding more boiling water until it was cooked.
★★★★
Renee says
Thanks for letting me know you needed to make an adaptation. Every kitchen is different. I'll be sure to double check the amounts and timings the next time I make the recipe.