There’s something about a simple, creamy pasta salad that always works, but this Bacon, Peas & Parmesan Pasta Salad feels a bit more exciting. It comes together quickly with minimal ingredients, but still delivers big flavour—crispy bacon, sweet peas, fresh chives, and plenty of parmesan.

The dressing keeps that classic creamy base, with fresh lemon to lighten and brighten everything. The parmesan is used two ways—grated for that salty, savoury base, and shaved for extra texture and bite. Mix it all together and you’ve got a pasta salad that’s familiar and craveable, but just a little more impressive.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

• Great for meal prep: Holds up well in the fridge for a few days so it’s great for quick meals or lunches on the go.
• Easy to throw together: Comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep steps.
• Simple dressing: A few ingredients come together to make a perfectly creamy, flavourful dressing.
• Balanced ingredients: Crispy bacon, sweet peas, fresh chives, and salty parmesan pair perfectly with the pasta.

Prep for Bacon, Peas & Parmesan Pasta Salad:

• Thaw the peas.
• Rinse and finely chop the chives.
• Prep the parmesan cheese; I like using a microplane for the grated parmesan, and a vegetable peeler is perfect for making thin shaved pieces.
• The dressing can be made in advance and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge. Just give it a good whisk before using.

How to Make Bacon, Peas & Parmesan Pasta Salad:

Step One:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, then add the slices of bacon in a single layer.

Step Two:

Bake in the oven until crispy, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Once cool, crumble or roughly chop.

Step Three:

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions, or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Add to a large bowl and toss with a small drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Step Four: Make the Dressing

Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and sugar to a bowl. Thoroughly whisk together and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Step Five: Assemble

Add the peas, bacon, chives, grated parmesan, and shaved parmesan to the large bowl of pasta.

Step Six:

Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well to combine, and serve!

Substitutions for Bacon, Peas & Parmesan Pasta Salad:

Pasta: I love mini farfalle for this recipe, but any small, short pasta shape will work!

Bacon: You can sub in turkey bacon or pancetta.

Chives: Finely chopped green onions would work perfectly too.

Parmesan: Finely grated pecorino can be subbed in if that’s what you have in the fridge.

Mayo: Swap for greek yogurt for a lighter take on the dressing.

How to Store Bacon, Peas & Parmesan Pasta Salad:

Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

I like prepping into small containers to grab for quick lunches. Right before eating the leftovers, I like to mix in a tiny drizzle of olive oil and a fresh squeeze of lemon. It really brightens the salad up and it doesn’t even taste like leftovers!

This one is a total crowd-pleaser that everyone will want the recipe for! Tag me on social if you try it out, @britacooks! xx