Pasta with Peas and Bacon

I know, this blog is about my paper craft creations, however I wanted to do this post especially for my Hawaii blog friend, Jalna. Jalna is a photographer and takes the most beautiful pictures. One of the things she likes to do is take pictures of food, whether it be where she's had lunch or a dish she or her husband has fixed. I think it was last week she posted a picture of a pasta dish her husband fixed for dinner. It looked so very good. So I decided to take a picture of what I fixed for dinner tonight. I found this recipe on the Food Network website a few years ago and its a recipe that Emeril Lagasse fixed at a fire station in New York City. It goes together very simply and is so good. I always make a lot so there is leftovers!! :)

Here's the recipe as its written. I will then tell you how I do it.
1 lb tortellini (cheese filled)
5 or 6 pieces of bacon, sliced thin
1/2 onion, chopped
4 ozs of frozen peas
2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 ozs heavy cream
Salt & pepper

Place tortellini in a pot of boiling water. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel to drain. Pour out all the bacon grease except for 1 T. In the same skillet, place the onion and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden. Pour in the cream, and reduce until lightly thickened. Remove the pasta from the water when it is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add the pasta to the cream mixture. Add bacon back to the pan along with the peas and cheese. Reduce for 1 minute. Toss and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Here's what I do:
I use a mixture of plain and spinach tortellini with ricotto, romano and parmesan cheese by Buitoni. It's a 2 lb package. I also add some chopped ham and brown it with the bacon. I buy one of those small ham steaks by Hormel, I think. I don't measure the amount of peas, I just pour some in my Pampered Chef microwave pot with a little bit of water and microwave it for about 3 minutes. I don't measure the amount of cheese either, just pour some in until I think its enough. After I drain the pasta, I put it back in the same pot and add the cream mixture, bacon & ham, peas and cheese and mix it altogether. With some nice hard crusty bread and a salad, it's a fantastic meal.

I forgot to say I use about 3/4 of a pint of heavy cream since I fix a 2 lb package of tortellini instead of 1 lb.

So make it sometime. I know you will enjoy it as much as we do.

I'll have some paper crafts to post in a few days. I need to get some birthday cards made this week. I can't seem to get motivated to do so. :)