1/2 pound penne 4 slices bacon 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 carton ricotta cheese -- (15 ounce) Generous grinds black pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt Best cookware: 10-inch skillet; Dutch oven Best utensil: Wooden spoon Do not cook pasta without thick pot holders! This is very easy and very quick. Ricotta cheese, low in fat and calories, makes a creamy sauce that crunches from peas and pieces of bacon. Penne is a tubular pasta. DO THIS FIRST: 1. Be ready to make the sauce. Have a skillet and the bacon and peas ready and convenient to the stove. 2. Get out a nice-looking bowl or platter for serving the p pasta. 3. Fill a big pot, such as a Dutch oven, two-thirds full of water. Cover, put over high heat, and bring to a boil. Set a colander in your clean sink. When the water boils with big bubbles, add the penne-slowly, so the water keeps on boiling. Cook according to package directions. DO THIS SECOND: 1. While the penne cooks, cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Put it in the cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium. Fry the bacon until soft. (If you've got all your ingredients ready to go, stop and tidy up.) 2. Pour most of the bacon fat into a tin can (not down your drain!), leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. 3. Put the bacon back on medium heat. Immediately add the peas. Stir and cook until the peas are shiny green, about 1 1/2 minutes. WRAPPING IT UP: 1. Drain the pasta in the colander. Shake the colander to get as much water out of the penne as possible. 2. Put the hot pasta in the serving bowl. Mix in the cheese, then the bacon and peas. Add black pepper, but taste for salt before adding any. Serve now! Copyright Chicago Tribune 1994 Recipe By: JeanMarie Brownson, Tribune Staff Writer MC formatting by bobbi744@sojourn.com
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