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!
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.