This pasta e piselli with pancetta is the perfect springtime pasta dish. Al dente pasta gets a bright makeover with fresh, sweet peas, salty pancetta, and the easiest sauce you could imagine. Paired with some airy focaccia, you have an easy and light weeknight meal!
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Why This Recipe Works
No complicated ingredients: This recipe uses easy, pantry and fridge staples. No trips to the speciality store for this pasta!
It is a light pasta recipe: The sauce is perfectly creamy, without any cream. You get the silkiness that we all know and love, without the heaviness. If you are interested in other light, spring-inspired meals, this spring lemon and asparagus risotto is a must!
It is ready in under 20 minutes: You do not need to cook or simmer the sauce for a long time. In the time that the pasta cooks, the pancetta will crisp up and be ready to finish the sauce.
Ingredients
- Farfalle pasta: I like to use farfalle pasta for this recipe, as it is not only a short pasta, but it has lots of ridges to hold the creamy sauce.
- Pancetta: Pancetta is a salt-cured pork product. It is different from bacon as it cured and unsmoked, where bacon is cured and smoked. Pancetta is a good choice for this pasta as it adds salt, but not an overwhelming smokey flavour.
- Sweet peas: You can use fresh sweet peas or frozen, depending on what you have on hand and what is in season.
- Parmesan cheese: The parmesan cheese is one of the main elements of the sauce for this pasta. For this reason, I recommend using good quality, freshly grated parmesan.
- Fresh garlic
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Instructions
START WITH...
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Boiling the water - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, salt liberally.
Boil the farfalle pasta in the boiling, salted water. Boil until al dente, as per package instructions. This should take 12-15 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta is cooking, add the pancetta to a cold pan. Turn the heat on to medium heat, and let the pancetta crisp up and the fat render. Once most of the fat has started to render from the pancetta, add in the smashed garlic cloves and let them flavour the pancetta fat.
Remove the garlic cloves after 2-3 minutes. Add the drained pasta, and coat well with the pancetta fat. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low.
Add in the pasta water, and sprinkle in the parmesan cheese. Mix vigorously to emulsify the parmesan cheese with the pasta water and pancetta fat. Turn the heat off. Add the green peas, and fold into the pasta.
Expert Tip
Taste before you season the pasta. Pancetta and parmesan are equally salty ingredients. The pasta water will also add some additional salt to the sauce. This is why I recommend seasoning the pasta at the end, to avoid ruining the pasta.
Substitutions
- Farfalle: Feel free to use any short pasta you prefer. I recommend using a short pasta as a substitute, as it works well with the simplicity of the sauce.
- Pancetta: Feel free to use bacon of guanciale in place of pancetta.
- Parmesan cheese: Substitute with pecorino romano instead of parmesan cheese.
Variations
- Citrus: Add a squeeze of lemon to the pasta, to add a bright, citrus flavour.
- Asparagus: Add some asparagus to the pasta for an extra vegetable layer.
- Spicy: Toast some red chilli flakes to the pancetta and garlic to add some spice to the sauce.
Equipment
This is what I used to make this recipe - Please be mindful that different equipment and cooking utensils may yield varying results. Most of my favourite equipment can be found on my storefront.
- Large pot
- Large skillet
Storage
Because of how this sauce is made, this pasta is best eaten fresh. Once put in the fridge, the pasta will congeal and will not heat up to be as silky as it is when fresh.
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This recipe was originally published in November, 2020. It was updated in March, 2022 to include process shots, detailed instructions and tips for making the best pasta e piselli every single time!
Pasta e Piselli (Peas) with Pancetta
Ingredients
- 4 oz Farfalle pasta
- 3 oz Italian pancetta diced
- 2 cloves Garlic smashed
- ¼ cup Starchy pasta water
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Green peas
Instructions
- Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, salt liberally.
- Cook pasta: Boil the farfalle pasta in the boiling, salted water. Boil until al dente, as per package instructions. This should take 12-15 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.4 oz Farfalle pasta
- Render pancetta: While the pasta is cooking, add the pancetta to a cold pan. Turn the heat on to medium heat, and let the pancetta crisp up and the fat render. Once most of the fat has started to render from the pancetta, add in the smashed garlic cloves and let them flavour the pancetta fat.3 oz Italian pancetta, 2 cloves Garlic
- Add pasta: Remove the garlic cloves after 2-3 minutes. Add the drained pasta, and coat well with the pancetta fat. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low.4 oz Farfalle pasta, Salt and pepper to taste
- Finish sauce: Add in the pasta water, and sprinkle in the parmesan cheese. Mix vigorously to emulsify the parmesan cheese with the pasta water and pancetta fat. Turn the heat off. Add the green peas, and fold into the pasta.¼ cup Starchy pasta water, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup Green peas
Equipment
- Large pot
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