Bacon and Pea Pasta

If you ask me what I have at all times in my freezer, the answer would definitely be frozen peas. Sure, I'll get my hands on fresh peas if I can, but most of the year, that really isn't a tangible reality. For most quick meals, having a bag of these frozen green jewels helps add vegetables to a simple pasta, or make an easy side dish, simply complemented by a little butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Adding more vegetables to our everyday diets also seems to fit quite nicely with all these new year's resolutions, doesn't it? This pasta dish is garnished with crispy prosciutto and flavoured with Canadian bacon so the healthy points are not entirely there...but the delicious points definitely are.

Bacon and Pea Pasta
Serves 2 - 4
6 oz fusilli
2 tsp olive oil
2 slices Canadian bacon, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 thin prosciutto slices 2 cups packed arugula
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package instructions, setting aside 2 tablespoons of pasta water. Add oil to pan on medium high heat. Cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add peas and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, place prosciutto on a baking sheet. Baked in 400°F oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Break into pieces and set aside.

Add cooked, drained pasta to pan, with reserved pasta water. Stir in arugula until just wilted. Top with Parmesan. Transfer to serving platter, top with prosciutto. Enjoy!