Pasta, Pancetta, And Peas
Pasta, Pancetta, and Peas is a quick, easy weeknight meal and a great dish to serve to guests.
Equipment
- 1 saute pan 10-inch
- 1 saucepot 6-quart
- 1 mini food processor
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 mesh strainer
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 pound Fusilli pasta Uncooked
- 2 1/2 ounces pancetta 1/4-inch dice
- 2 cloves garlic Finely minced
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-ground, reserve 1/4 cup for serving
- 1 large shallot Halved, and very thinly sliced
- 1 10-ounce packeage frozen peas Thawed
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 1 cup starchy pasta cooking liquid
- 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves finely julienned
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves Finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente, still firm to the bite. Drain well, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pot.In a cold sauté pan over medium heat, add the pancetta and cook for 7 minutes. Stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crispy pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the drippings from the sauté pan.To the same pan, add the sliced shallots and fresh-ground black pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes until the shallots have softened. Add the minced garlic, stirring frequently, and cook for another 1 minute. Add the thawed frozen peas to warm through, stirring everything together. Remove from heat. Add the crispy pancetta back in, and mix to combine.Add the pancetta, shallots, and minced garlic mixture, 1/2 cup of pasta cooking liquid, 1/2 cup of the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, half the mint, and half the basil to the cooked pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by the tablespoon, if needed.Transfer to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle the remaining basil and mint on top. Serve, passing additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.You can enjoy this dish in 30 minutes.There you have it, my Pasta, Pancetta, and Peas.
Notes
1) You'll notice I'm not using any salt for this dish (except for seasoning the pasta water). The pancetta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese together add enough salt flavor to the dish.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.