Fresh From Nancy's Garden

A Fun Place For Gardening Tips and Great Recipes

Pasta With Peas, Prosciutto & Parmesan

Leave a comment

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I have a bumper crop of peas right now and I wanted a great (and different) way to use them. And this is definitely it! 

I’m huge fan of pasta with peas, but usually the recipe calls for heavy cream or white wine and it’s a heavy meal. I wanted something tasty, but light, without a gazillion calories. Trust me–you’ll love this. And it’s super simple to make.

Here’s a warning…it says this serves 4–I think it could serve 8! (Or at least 6).

INGREDIENTS FOR PASTA WITH PEAS, PROSCIUTTO & PARMESAN
This photo pretty much says it all!
  • 2 TBS unsalted butter
  • 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small WHITE onion, finely diced
  • 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas 
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 lb. dried fettuccine
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed ricotta cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 thin slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper   
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat as you prepare the sauce.

In a really large frying pan (I should have used a bigger one) over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. When the butter begins to sizzle add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. 

Add the peas and gently stir to thoroughly coat and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. 
Just a note–this is the best and easiest lemon zester, in case you need one!

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, a generous amount of pepper and the lemon zest. Remove from the heat, cover to keep warm and set aside while you cook the fettuccine according to the package–about 12 minutes. 

Save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the peas and toss gently to combine. (This is why you need a really large pan). Gradually add the pasta water to loosen the sauce, if needed. 

Add the ricotta cheese and the prosciutto and toss gently. Add a little more pasta water if needed.

Add the freshly grated Parmesan and toss gently again. Season with salt and pepper. 

Divide into shallow bowls and take a bite! I really think you’ll love it. The saltiness of the prosciutto and the Parmesan and the creaminess of the ricotta and the fresh taste of the lemon with the peas–what can I say? Deliziosa!

Remember read it first at Stu News.

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags:

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.