Creamy Pasta With Peas, Tomatoes and Asparagus

This recipe was just put together with ingredients I had on hand in the RV.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz box of Orecchiette (little ears) pasta
• 2 slices of thick bacon
• 1 large tomato
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 bag of frozen asparagus
• 3 cups of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese, and some for garnishing
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt
• Water

Tools:

Large pot, skillet, plate lined with paper towels, 1 cup measuring cup, strainer, wooden spoon

Instructions

1. Fill the large pot with water and add enough salt so the water tastes salty. Put the pot on to boil.
2. Dice the bacon and fry it in the skillet over medium heat. You will need to stir the bacon and flip it with the wooden spoon. Once the bacon is crisp, remove it to the plate lined with paper towels. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet.
3. Roughly cut up the tomato and add it to skillet with the bacon fat over low heat and sauté for about a minute.
4. Add the frozen peas to the skillet with the tomato and sauté until the peas have thawed. Remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Microwave the bag of frozen asparagus a minute less than the instructions say. Once it has cooled, cut the asparagus into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
6. Once the large pot of water has started to boil, add the Orecchiette pasta to pot. Cook the pasta until al dente.
7. Save a cup of the pasta water by dipping the measuring cup into the pot. You should have between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of pasta water
8. Drain the pasta by pouring it into the strainer over or in the sink.
9. Pour the hot pasta back into the large pot and add about a 1/3 cup of pasta water to the pot. Put the pot onto medium-low heat.
10. Stirring constantly, add the three cups of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese to the pot of pasta. Add more pasta water, if needed to make a creamy sauce.
11. Once the cheese has melted and made a creamy sauce, add the black pepper to the pasta and stir it into the pasta.
12. Add the tomato, peas and asparagus into the large pot and stir them into the pasta.
13. Dish the pasta out evenly into 4 to 6 bowls or plates.
14. Garnish with the bacon pieces and cheese.

Notes:

This recipe can be made vegetarian by leaving out the bacon and using olive oil to sauté the tomato and peas.

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