There is not a more amazing smell in the whole wide world than onions cooking in bacon fat. There’s your whole rationale for making this recipe; goodnight and goodbye, thank you for listening.
But in all seriousness, I can’t imagine a more perfect way to use some of spring’s best produce (peas!) than to toss it in bacon fat, onions, fresh basil, and lemon juice. It’s healthy in a whole30 approved, gluten-free, dairy-free kind of way, and unhealthy in a bacony-way that get’s my Georgia boy excited. I think we’re all winning here.
Also 100% acceptable: using frozen peas. No one’s judging, no one will taste the difference.
We ate these lemony bacon peas with a grilled steak drizzled in a spicy mustard sauce, (and some potatoes of course, because it’s us) and it was Sunday dinner perfection. PERFECTION I SAY. Are you sold yet?
- 4 slices bacon
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen (thawed) baby peas
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Salt and pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil, for serving
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon medium-low heat until crisp and dark brown. Remove the bacon the bacon from the skillet to cool on some paper towels.
- Add the onion to the bacon grease, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the peas to the skillet, stirring and cooking until they are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Toss in the lemon zest, a pinch of salt and pepper, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and some torn fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and adjust.
- Crumble the bacon and stir that in.
- Remove the peas from the heat, and stir in the fresh lemon juice. Serve warm.