Pasta with Snap Peas, Canadian Facon, and Sundried Tomatoes

Garden excess is the mother of recipe invention. Last summer was my first bumper crop of sugar snap peas in my very own garden. I was picking between 1 and 2 pounds of peas a week for at least 8 weeks, and while they are absolutely divine to munch on raw, I needed to find other uses for them. I made this recipe up last summer and now that we're back in sugar snap pea season, it's made its way back onto our plates. It features a rare fake meat (that I didn't make myself) component! The combination of sweet snap peas, salty smoky Canadian Facon, and tangy tart sundried tomatoes is perfect. The entire meal takes about as long as it takes to cook the pasta too. Just another reason it's great in the summer!



Pasta with Snap Peas, Canadian Facon, and Sundried Tomatoes

1/2 lbs pasta (I used the remainder of two boxes in that picture, hence the blend)
12 oz or about 4 cups of sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 package Yves veggie Canadian Bacon, diced
10 sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
Handful of fresh basil chiffonade (rolled up and cut into strips)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the diced Facon. Fry the facon until it begins to brown.

3. Add the snap peas and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes or until the snap peas are bright and just tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK! You still want them crisp, just not crunchy.

4. Toss in the sundried tomatoes and basil and toss with pasta. You can add a little of the sundried tomato soaking liquid if it seems too dry.