PASTA SHELLS WITH BACON, PEAS, RICOTTA

PASTA SHELLS WITH BACON, PEAS, RICOTTA

From Vicki Troyer Bernardi

A quick dish...sauce can be made while pasta boils!

1/4 lb. lean bacon

5 oz. frozen peas, thawed

Salt

4 oz. ricotta1 lb. pasta shells
1  T. butter

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Pepper, freshly ground

Boil 4-5 quarts water, 1 T. salt and the pasta. Drain pasta when tender, but firm to the bite, al dente.

Saute bacon strips until lightly browned, less crisp than you might eat for breakfast; drain fat, leaving about 2 T. fat in the pan.

Add to the bacon thawed peas, stirring and cooking so they absorb the bacon flavor, then turn off the heat.

Into a serving bowl, spoon ricotta and butter and crumble with a fork.  Add pasta and toss 2-3 times with the ricotta and butter.

Pour the bacon and peas over the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly.

Add grated cheese and pepper and toss 2-3 more times.

Serve at once.