Peas, Parm, and Prosciutto

Isn't alliteration fun? No? You mean you didn't enjoy grammar in high school? Ugh, as much as I loved writing and English in school, I really hated grammar lessons. They were the worst. Sorry, Mrs. Rafalski.

Back to food. This recipe has it all, folks. Pasta. Cheese. Veggies. Meat. Everything you could possibly want is right here, waiting to be made.

I discovered Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas a few years ago, and it quickly made its way into my regular rotation of dishes. It's easy, quick, and tastes delicious. My one word of warning, which I repeat in my notes at the end of the recipe, is that you really should buy nice prosciutto. Not the crappy packaged kind from the deli. Which is what I stupidly did when I made this the other night (hey, I haven't made it in awhile, give me a break). So excuse the disgusting-looking gray prosciutto in the picture below. But don't worry; despite my meat mishap, I still gobbled down my whole plate. Now that is the sign of a good dish.

Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas

 Serves 4

(Recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

Ingredients

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

12 ounces fettucine

1 tablespoon butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped (¼ cup)

¼ cup heavy cream

1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed

8 slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

1.       In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2.       Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat; add the shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the peas are heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3.       Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Pour the sauce over the pasta; add the Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

·         Prosciutto is so much easier to slice if you freeze it for 20 minutes beforehand.

·         Do not skimp on what kind of prosciutto you buy here. Get the good, more expensive kind from behind the deil counter because you can really taste the difference.

·         If your sauce is ready before the pasta, turn the burner off so too much of the cream doesn’t evaporate.