20 pasta recipes to simplify your weeknight

Find comfort and ease with these 20 pasta recipes.

15. Pasta with peas, prosciutto, and Parmesan

Blue Kitchen
Get fresh peas if at all possible for this pasta dish with prosciutto and Parmesan. If fresh peas can't be found frozen is your next-best bet.

 By Terry Boyd, Blue Kitchen

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil (plus extra)
1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 shallot or small yellow onion, finely chopped – see Kitchen Notes)
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups shelled fresh English peas, from 1-1/2 pounds unshelled peas (or frozen peas – see Kitchen Notes)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan
16 ounces fettuccine or other ribbon pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1. Shell the peas, then start a pot of water for cooking the pasta as you prep the rest of the ingredients. When the water is boiling, start the pasta and heat a large skillet over a medium flame. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the prosciutto, tossing to coat with oil and separate the pieces. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, reducing the heat if it starts to smoke. Add garlic to pan and cook until just fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add peas and toss to mix ingredients. Sauté for 1 or 2 minutes, then add cream. Toss to coat prosciutto pea mixture. The cream will pretty much disappear into the dish.

2. Drain fettuccine and add most of it to the pan. Toss to combine. Add the rest of the fettuccine gradually, making sure it doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients – if it starts to, discard the remaining pasta. If pasta is dry (mine was), drizzle with extra olive oil and toss to coat. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, using tongs to pick up pasta. Much of the prosciutto pea mixture will remain behind in the pan. Use a spoon to top each serving of pasta with it. Grate some fresh Parmesan over each bowl and serve.

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