The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/30393
Each week we feature an area restaurant and/or a recipe by an area resident. To contribute a recipe or suggest a restaurant, e-mail editor@otownscene.com Local Eats EE’s Bacon and Pea Pasta This dish is great as a side dish with some barbecued chicken or chilled and paired with burgers or a turkey sandwich. It is a recipe I’ve found to be great warm or cold, and the leftovers make a fan- tastic light lunch. It is also a versatile recipe since you can leave the bacon out and have a vegetarian-friendly dish instead. INGREDIENTS: 8-10 slices of think bacon, chopped into small pieces 1 lb. bag or box of shell pasta, (I prefer the mini or small) 1 bag frozen peas 1/3 cup sour cream 2 Tbsp. butter Freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 4 or 5 freshly picked mint leaves Salt and pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. olive oil DIRECTIONS: The secret ingredient is mint! Cook the pasta according to the package in salted water. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the pea mixture later on. Cook until just soft enough to eat if you are planning to make a cold salad instead of a warm one; they tend to get a little softer after they’ve sat overnight in the fridge. Once the pasta is done cooking, toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir often to prevent burning. Once the bacon is nice and crispy, drain the fat and add butter, frozen peas and mint leaves. If you are making a bacon-free dish, just start with the butter and peas and a bit of olive oil. After about 3 minutes, add the sour cream, the re- served 1/2 cup of pasta water and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat, stirring often until heated through. Remove from heat, and add the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill overnight or serve immediately as a warm dish. Enjoy! _ Emily Ernsberger Emily Ernsberger is a hostess with the mostess and a whiz in the kitchen. She is also the director of annual giving at Hartwick College. 10 O-Town Scene April 28, 2011