Lemon-Herb Fusilli with New Potatoes, Peas & Crispy Bacon
Springy, smoky, silky pasta with bright garden flavors.
Daily recipe · May 20, 2026
A little about this dish
This pasta leans into late-spring American farmers’-market flavors with tender new potatoes, sweet peas, charred scallions, and a bright lemon-herb butter that feels fresh rather than heavy. Crispy bacon adds smoky depth, while a shower of dill and parsley keeps it vivid and modern. It eats like a cross between a warm potato salad and a silky pasta, making it seasonal, comforting, and striking on the plate.
Ingredients (for 4)
- New potatoes — 1 lb — scrubbed and halved if large
- Fusilli or gemelli pasta — 12 oz
- Fresh or frozen peas — 1 cup
- Thick-cut bacon — 6 slices — cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Scallions — 4 — trimmed
- Small lemon — 1 — zested and juiced
- Parmesan cheese — 3/4 cup, plus more for serving — grated
- Unsalted butter — 3 tbsp
- Garlic cloves — 2 cloves — finely grated or minced
- Fresh dill — 2 tbsp — chopped
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley — 2 tbsp — chopped
- Red pepper flakes — 1/4 tsp
- Apple cider vinegar — 1 tbsp
- Extra-virgin olive oil — 2 tbsp
- Kosher salt — 1 1/4 tsp, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper — 1/2 tsp, plus more to taste
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🥔💧🔥Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the new potatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until just tender. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and keep the water boiling.
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Step 2 — 🍝🫛⏲️Add the fusilli or gemelli to the same pot and cook until al dente. In the last 2 minutes, add the peas. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain.
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Step 3 — 🥓🍳👌Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and crisp. Move it to a paper towel-lined plate and leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet.
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Step 4 — 🥔✨🍽️Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the boiled potatoes cut-side down and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned. Turn and cook 2 more minutes until lightly crisp. Season with a little kosher salt and black pepper, then remove to a plate.
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Step 5 — 🧅🔥🔪Add the scallions to the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once, until blistered and softened. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch pieces.
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Step 6 — 🧄🧈🍋Lower the heat to medium. Add the unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar.
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Step 7 — 🍝🥔🫛Add the drained pasta, peas, browned potatoes, charred scallions, and about 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss until everything looks glossy and lightly coated.
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Step 8 — 🧀🌿🥓Add the Parmesan, dill, parsley, most of the bacon, and black pepper. Toss again, adding more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta smoothly. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
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Step 9 — 🍽️🌿😋Divide into bowls or plates. Top with the remaining bacon, extra Parmesan, and a little more dill and lemon zest. Serve right away.
A final fox tip
For a pescatarian version, swap the bacon for crisped smoked trout or a sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs cooked in olive oil. You can also add asparagus tips with the peas for an even more spring-forward look. If serving kids, let them scatter the herbs and cheese over the top right before the photo-worthy final reveal.