Creamy Pasta Salad with Peas & Bacon

 

 

What a day I had yesterday. I think I spent half of the day on the telephone in a queue waiting to talk to the Government's tax department. Why is anything to do with the government so complicated??  Am I wrong??  I was in four different queues with a forty five minute wait in each and I didn't dare hang up. It had taken me two days just to get someone to answer.

Anyways, I ended up having to whip up something quick and easy for supper. I had some sliced deli meats and some crusty bread and I decided to make a quick pasta salad to go along with them, along with some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

This is a pasta salad recipe that I had seen on Pinterest, taken from a site called Slow Roasted Italian.   It looked really delicious. The original recipe made six servings. I downsized it to make just three.

I figured I could have some for my supper and then have some for lunch a couple of days in a row. It is always nice to have a salad in the fridge ready to go for a quick lunch!  

What I love about pasta salads is they are so adaptable. This recipe boasted a lovely creamy lemon and herb dressing that would have easily adapted the salad to adding cubes of chicken or even some flaked fish to make it a main dish salad!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY PASTA SALAD WITH PEAS & BACON

This is the simplest salad and used ingredients that I always have on hand. I am thinking you probably do also!  Everyone needs a recipe like this up their sleeve for when you want a last minute quick salad idea!

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup (72g) good quality mayonnaise
• 3 TBS light olive oil
• 1 TBS white wine vinegar
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• the finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 2 TBS chopped fresh chives (or 1 TBS dried chives)

You will also need:

• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces/170g) small shaped pasta, or medium shells
• 1 cup (150g) frozen peas, thawed
• 2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 rashers streaky bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled

 

I have a huge supply of pasta in my cupboard in many shapes and sizes. This one, called Gramigna, is shaped like little flying saucers. I chose it because I knew it would "cup" the dressing and other ingredients and it would add interest to the salad! Orecchetti (little ears) would also be nice.

I use baby English Peas, or Petit Pois. I find they have the sweetest flavor and the nicest texture. NO need to cook them.  Just thaw them out.  I used spring onions, also known as scallions or green onions. You could add a bit of chopped celery as well if you are looking for extra crunch!

Try to use some meaty strips of streaky bacon, not fatty ones. Boy, I sure miss the bacon from the U.K. I always bought the smoked dry cured. It was lovely.

 

I like Hellman's mayonnaise. I will sometimes make my own from scratch mayonnaise and in the U.K. I would sometimes buy French Mayonnaise, which has extra egg yolks in it.  Use a good quality mayo as it forms the better part of this dressing and you want a nice rich flavor!

Don't skip the small amount of sugar. It helps to even out the sharpness of the vinegar and lemon juice. You still get the flavors but they are not as harsh.

Use a good Dijon. I use French Maille Dijon. Its superior in my opinion and a big jar lasts a very long time. The others are a bit too vinegary in my opinion.  The Maille has the heat without the sharpness, but the heat is also not a slap in your face kind of a heat. It is mellow.

If you have fresh herbs by all means use fresh.  Tis the season. I didn't have any fresh herbs so I used all dry. 

 

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY PASTA SALAD WITH PEAS & BACON

Its simple really. I know I say that a lot, but then, I am rather lazy and don't do complicated if I can possibly help it!  Been there, did that, resist it as much as possible now in my retirement!

Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions in a pan of boiling lightly salted water. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Toss together with a tiny bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.

 

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth and amalgamated. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Toss the pasta together with the peas, bacon, spring onions, and the dressing. Combine gently together until everything is well combined.

Spoon into a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve. If you will be waiting a while to serve it, don't add the bacon until just prior to serving.

 

This was really quite good.  You probably already know that. I don't share things with you that I don't think are delicious, my sometimes very horrible photography beside!   It was very simple to make and was really enjoyed as a side next to some cold sliced deli meats and some sliced cucumber and tomato.

Don't put the bacon in until just before you go to serve it. That is my main suggestion. I put it in too early and it kind of got lost in translation. The smokiness was there, but not as nicely as it would have been had I waited! It also got a bit soggy. Also if you are holding the salad for later, I would hold back a tiny bit of the dressing to fold into the salad just prior to serving.

 

Love pasta salads??? And who doesn't!  Here are a few more delicious pasta salad options!

GREEK PASTA SALAD - This tasty salad embodies all of the elements of a good Greek Salad with fresh crisp cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, plenty of parsley and a delicious red wine herbed dressing.  Oh, and pasta twists, which while not exactly traditional, make this a fabulously tasty and hearty salad!

TEX MEX PASTA SALAD - A cobbled together salad which is a delicious mix of cooked bow tie pasta and crisp fresh vegetables . . . .  peppers, onions, corn niblets . . . tinned black beans, ripe avocado, ripe garden cherry tomatoes  . . .  and a punchy Tex Mex dressing.  Quite simply delicious!

Yield: 3 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Creamy Pasta Salad with Peas & Bacon (small batch)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Super quick and easy to make with a deliciously creamy chive and lemon dressing. This is a salad that goes perfectly with any number of proteins. Fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc. It can easily be made ahead of time as well.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup (72g) good quality mayonnaise
• 3 TBS light olive oil
• 1 TBS white wine vinegar
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• the finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 2 TBS chopped fresh chives (or 1 TBS dried chives)

You will also need:

• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces/170g) small shaped pasta, or medium shells
• 1 cup (150g) frozen peas, thawed
• 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 2 rashers streaky bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions in a pan of boiling lightly salted water. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Toss together with a tiny bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
2. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth and amalgamated. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
3. Toss the pasta together with the peas, bacon, spring onions and the dressing. Combine gently together until everything is well combined.
4. Spoon into a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve. If you will be waiting a while to serve it, don't add the bacon until just prior to serving.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #marierayner5530

This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.  

  

Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 

 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.