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Pasta e piselli served in a bowl with white wine.
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5 from 3 votes

Pasta e Piselli (Peas) with Pancetta

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!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: creamy pasta, creamy pasta e piselli, pancetta pasta, pasta e piselli, pasta with peas
Servings: 2 Servings
Calories: 549kcal
Author: Sunena Anand

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

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 766IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 2mg