Pasta Peas and Bacon with Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Pasta, Peas and Bacon is one of my favorite quick and easy dishes!

You can use whatever type of pasta you like and I often substitute peas with what in season vegetable I find, and/or what’s in my garden.

Pasta and Peas is one of those versatile make it your own dishes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

Rinse pasta in hot water, drain again, toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add bacon and saute until crisp about 7 minutes, remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper napkin.

Reserve bacon grease, add chopped onion to bacon grease, saute 5 minutes, add seasonings to pan, garlic and parsley, cook 1 minute more.

Add peas to pan, saute for about 5 minutes, add pasta to pan, and 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, mix well and cook about 3 minutes to heat pasta.

Remove pan from heat, stir in drained mozzarella balls and bacon, toss well and serve immediately.

Grab a fork and enjoy!

Pasta, Peas, and Bacon with Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lb. Barilla linguine
1 pack bacon, thick cut, diced
12 ounces mozzarella balls, marinated
2 cups peas, frozen
1/2 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Rinse pasta in hot water, drain again, toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add bacon and saute until crisp about 7 minutes, remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper napkin.

Reserve bacon grease, add chopped onion to bacon grease, saute 5 minutes, add seasonings to pan, garlic and parsley, cook 1 minute more.

Add peas to pan, saute for about 5 minutes, add pasta to pan, and 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, mix well and cook about 3 minutes to heat pasta.

Remove pan from heat, stir in drained mozzarella balls and bacon, toss well and serve immediately.