Pasta with cow peas, potatoes and bacon

• 15 minutes (+ overnight soaking) to prepare • 150 minutes to cook • Serves 4

Black Eyed Peas

 

Smoked bacon gives flavor and depth to a simple pasta dish including white beans and potatoes.
It’s the perfect, comforting dish for a cold winter’s night and was slurped up by my family with relish.

Inspired by Italian tradition, I love the contrast between the sweet cow peas, the smoked bacon, and the smooth potatoes.
Why do we think that Italian pasta is centered around tomato sauces? There is a huge variety of sauces just waiting to be explored by the curious cook...
Buon appetito!


Here are ingredients for a 4-serving recipe:

600 g cow peas beans, soaked over night
4 potatoes
100 g smoked bacon
320 g ditalini pasta
100 g Parmigiano reggiano grated
1 cherry tomato
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 sprig celery, cut into rounds
1 sprig parsley
EVO oil
salt and pepper

1. Rinse the soaked beans and keep them aside
2. Chop onion, peel and chop the carrot, wash the celery and cut it into rounds. Then, pour two tablespoons of EVO oil in a pan and, when it is hot, braise the vegetables
3. Chop the smoked bacon and add it to the pan. Stir to mix until it becomes golden
4. Add cow peas beans and 1 cherry tomato, peeled and cut into small pieces. Go on with the cooking for 1 hour
5. Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes, wash and chop the parsley
6. When the 1-hour time has passed, add potatoes and parsley and go on with the cooking for about 30 minutes more
7. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water
8. Drain pasta al dente. Add pasta to the sauce of cow peas. Add Parmigiano reggiano as well and stir to mix. Season with pepper according to your taste

Nutrition Facts are detailed in the table below. Data is provided per serving.