Okay, I am not going to get into trying to justify why you should not feel shy to try this out. Yes, it’s not exactly 2 slices of pancetta per portion but come on. Live a little!!! Ooops, yes I did just go there. Pasta Piselli e pancetta (pasta with pancetta and peas) is a recipe well known to Italians, but for fellow meat-lovers, there was something missing. Well, not anymore!
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I raved about this recipe in my pasta e fagioli post because I think it’s that good. Its simple greens and pancetta are tossed in a frying pan. The pancetta starts to crunch and in comes the peas that sizzle at first contact with the pan. A few minutes later, a drizzle or two of water from the boiling pasta, and you’re done. I mean if this isn’t one of the easiest pasta recipes out there I don’t know what is. I’m short of words today so how about we skip the rumble and just get cooking?
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Pasta With Pancetta and Peas Cooking Tips
Some prefer to have a little watery sauce with this so if that’s your preference then just add a little more than the below recommended pasta water. When buying pancetta, avoid the smoked ones with intense flavor as they will overpower the dish.
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PLEASE NOTE Cook the peas and pancetta at the same time. The pancetta takes roughly 7-8 minutes, the same as the peas (if cooked from frozen). If you use peas that were not in the freezer it will take a shorter time. So by the time the peas are added to the frying pan, the pancetta should have already cooked through.
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The recipe has been updated on 19/05/20
Storage:
Not recommended
I hope you enjoyed the Pasta with pancetta and peas recipe. If so, please give it a thumbs up below. If you didn’t like it I would also like to know why :(. To stay up to date on what’s fresh off the stove/oven, let’s stay connected on Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, or subscribe below to be notified of new posts by email.
In the Mood for Some Mood/Winter-Warming Pasta Recipes? Try These Out:
Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta with Beans)
Creamy pasta with bean sauce with parmesan and black pepper. Hearty, warm, filling, and healthy- perfect for when the chill hits or not- dig in any way!
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Pasta with pancetta and peas
Fried pancetta and peas finished with a generous heap of parmigiano reggiano. One of the quickest pasta recipes, ready in 15 minutes- need i say more?
Ingredients
- 180g pancetta (sliced)
- 100g petit pois peas (frozen or not)
- Olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely diced brown onions
- 280g farfalle pasta
- 80g parmigiano reggiano
Instructions
Bring water to the boil
In the meantime heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat
Toss in the onions to sauté for about 2 minutes or until translucent
Now add in the sliced pancetta and let it fry until right before it starts to crisp. So about 7-8 minutes (boil the peas in the water at the same time as the pancetta cooks)
Boil the peas for 5-7 minutes (if cooking from frozen) or until soft but not mushy (make sure you taste it before taking them out). Using a sieve, take the peas out and directly add to the pancetta to saute for 1 minute and take them out- do not wait for the peas to start shrivelling or the pancetta to crunch up
Cook the pasta until al dente
When the pasta is ready pour in 8 tbsp of the pasta water into the pancetta and mix through well.
Drain the pasta (reserve a few tablespoons of water) and toss with the peas and pancetta before you pour in the parmigiano
If the pasta seems too dry for you add 1 tbsp of the reserved pasta water at a time
Serve hot!
2 Comments
Tracy Etale Vidal
20th May 2020 at 8:38 pmTried this one out and i absolutely loved it though i threw in some chicken…..lol. I want to try out pasta with beans looks so yummy.
einga
20th May 2020 at 8:46 pmThanks Tracy, I’m glad you liked it. Try pasta e fagioli and let me know how it was.