Rigatoni pasta with a creamy Afredo sauce and tossed with bacon and peas makes an easy weeknight dinner for all.
Alfredo sauce is a classic Italian sauce known for its rich and creamy texture. This sauce is traditionally made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese. However, variations of this sauce have emerged over the years, including the addition of bacon and peas. This twist on the traditional recipe adds a savory and sweet flavor to the sauce, making it a favorite among many Italian food lovers.
If you're looking for more easy dinner recipes like this please try Crack Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups or Cheesy Chicken Green Bean Bake.
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Why You Will Like This Recipe
With this dish, everything is made in one pan, so the noodles are cooked in a skillet with some broth and water. The noodles absorb the water and broth and then you add in the ingredients for the alfredo sauce which are the heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Bacon and peas are added for more flavor but you can add in anything else you like. For instance, chicken, sausage cut up into rounds would be a great source for protein.
Ingredients List
- Thick-sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
- Chopped fresh garlic can take some time to chop so I often always use the freshly minced garlic that comes already made in a jar.
- pasta (rotini, penne, or rigatoni pasta)
- Chicken broth - The best type of chicken stock to use is one that is homemade. For canned stock, I look for ones that say reduced sodium or fat free.
- Freshly ground black pepper - always to taste
- Frozen peas - adds a good source of greens and fiber to the meal
- Whipping cream - Dairy does not like me at all so I go for a lactose free milk such as Fairlife. It also has more protein in it.
- Parmesan cheese (1 ounce) is a hard, granular cheese that originated in Italy. It is typically made from cow's milk and has a sharp, nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is often grated and used as a topping for pasta dishes, salads, and other foods.
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Creamy Alfredo with Bacon and Peas
Step 1: In a large deep skillet cook the 4 slices bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside on a plate. Do not drain any grease.
Step 2: Stir in garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds more. Add in pasta, broth, the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once.
Recipe TIp: Step 2 is kind of another method for cooking the pasta in chicken broth and water. The water eventually evaporates and the noodles get cooked. You can skip this step entirely and just boil noodles the regular way until they are cooked.
Step 3: Stir in peas, whipping cream, and Parmesan cheese.
Cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve immediately. If desired, top with crumbled bacon.
Serving size: 1 cup.
What to serve with Alfredo sauce?
- Chicken: Alfredo sauce goes great with chicken. You can add the sauce to a chicken pasta dish, or simply serve it with grilled or baked chicken breasts.
- Vegetables: You can add Alfredo sauce to roasted or sautéed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.
- Seafood: Alfredo sauce also pairs well with seafood. You can add it to shrimp or scallop pasta dishes, or serve it with grilled fish.
- Bread: Air Fryer Garlic Bread or breadsticks are a great accompaniment to Alfredo sauce. They help to soak up the sauce and make for a delicious and satisfying meal.
- Salad: A fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing can help balance out the richness of the Alfredo sauce and add some variety to your meal.
Other Pasta Recipes
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Creamy Alfredo with Bacon and Peas
- Prep Time: 15min
- Cook Time: 25min
- Total Time: 35min
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Rigatoni pasta with a creamy Afredo sauce and tossed with bacon and peas makes an easy weeknight dinner for all.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces dried pasta (rotini, penne, or rigatoni pasta)
- 1 (14 ½ oz) can chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
Instructions
- In a large deep skillet cook the 4 slices bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside on a plate. Do not drain any grease.
- Stir in garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds more. Add in pasta, broth, the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once.
- Stir in peas, whipping cream, and Parmesan cheese.
- Cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve immediately. If desired, top with crumbled bacon.
- Serving size: 1 cup.
Notes
Recipe and nutrition info from Better Homes and Garden
WW Points: 8 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 378
- Sugar: 4
- Fat: 13
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 49
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 16
Lori Minasyan says
will cook without the bacon grease next time..just didn't taste good to me
Brandi Waugh says
this recipe is easy and the dish was delicious! this was the first time i made it and I'll definitely making it again! I did pan sear some chicken medallions and baked some garlic bread to go with it and it was so yummy. even my picky boyfriend has requested for me to make it again sooner than later!
Bob says
I add chicken chunks as an additional ingredient to my sauce.
Jenna says
Thanks glad they liked it!
Lisa says
A one dish fabulous recipe. Thank you so much!
Kids loved it.
Danelle says
I‘be made this two or three times. It’s exactly what I was looking for! Love it!
Jenna says
Thanks Kayla!