Pasta with Peas and Pancetta

5 from 2 votes

Easy and cheesy pasta and peas dish complemented by crispy pancetta. My family loves this dish for easy weeknight meals when we're looking for a quick meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 407kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $10

Equipment

1 large saucepan

Ingredients

1 lb fusilli or pasta of your choice
2 cups peas
8 oz pancetta, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pecorino romano, grated

Instructions

Add pancetta to a cold pan and raise the heat to medium. Slowly fry the pancetta until it is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
While sauteing the pancetta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Save at least 1 cup of starchy pasta water.
Add 1 cup of pasta water to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
Toss the peas in with the pasta water. Strain the fusilli and add it to the pan. Toss everything together really well.
Remove the pan from the heat and add another ½ cup of pasta water and the pecorino romano. Stir vigorously until everything is combined. As you're stirring, you may need to add more pasta water to increase the creaminess. Wait until the pasta water is almost absorbed to add more.

Video

Notes

Fry the pancetta in a cold pan. This will help render the fat and make the pancetta golden brown and crispy. Because the fat will render at a lower temperature, starting on a cold pan helps that process start before the meat on the pancetta starts cooking.
When combining the pasta water and pecorino romano, make sure to remove the pan from the heat so that the cheese doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the cheese slowly if you're worried about it sticking.

Nutrition