Rich and creamy, this recipe for Creamy Garlic Fettuccine with Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers bears resemblance to a robust alfredo.

It’s a grim grey day in Maine today, the kind that comes with a dim brightness that makes you want to crawl back into bed with a book and emerge again tomorrow. Days like today are hard at this time of year (and in the winter and spring too) because there are so many of them — and they don’t do much for the psyche or soul.

Fortunately, there are a few things we can do to struggle through the dark days. We can eat well. Summer’s fresh produce becomes a flavorful treat when the growing season ends. We can indulge our desires to curl up and read — and it can be surprisingly refreshing to check out for a day. And we can laugh. Whether it’s thanks to a good book, a good show or the company of others, laughter has a way of brightening things.

But back to the food: Comforting, warming pasta dishes like this Creamy Garlic Fettuccine with Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers are perfect on days like this.

While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. First, you brown the bacon. Then you add garlic and cook that till it’s fragrant — it only take a minute or so. When with a slotted spoon or mesh skimmer, take the bacon and the garlic from the pan. Set it aside. You’ll add it back in later.

Add heavy cream and a little nutmeg to the pan and whisk it in. A little grated Romano cheese, salt and pepper finish off the sauce base

Stir in the reserved bacon and garlic, as well as some roasted red peppers.

Then toss that lovely, flavorful sauce with the pasta.

A sprinkling of parsley, freshly chopped and bright green, finishes off the delish in a delightful flourish.

Aren’t you so glad you make this Creamy Garlic Fettuccine with Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers?