Go To Prosciutto, Peas and Pasta

I always have several recipes that are rolling around in my head that I refer to as my "Go To" recipes. These are recipes that usually require just a few ingredients, bring big flavors to the table and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. One of my all-time favorite go to recipes is Prosciutto, Peas and Pasta. This is peasant food at its best and it brings that grandma flavor because I make a simple sauce from reserved pasta water, pea liquid and deglazed pan bits leftover from the crispy prosciutto.

This meal is basically one that will do anything you require. It's great on a cold winter night all by yourself or you can dress it up for company with a nice wine, some crusty bread and fancy Danish butter. Don't forget good quality parmesan or pecorino romano cheese and a few cracks of freshly ground pepper to top it off. I usually have most of the ingredients on hand; a pound of good pasta, two cans of early peas, garlic and onion, olive oil. About the only thing that I need to buy is prosciutto.

I've read a lot of Prosciutto, Peas and Pasta recipes. There are ones that use a cream sauce, some add lemon zest others call for butter; but this is the one that I really like because it's simple and doesn't require too many ingredients. You don't waste anything with this recipe; I use the entire can of peas, liquid and all. I also reserve several cups of pasta water to add back in. My secret that brings the grandma flavor is to fry up the prosciutto with the onion and garlic until its nice and crispy. After you've added the prosciutto to the pasta use a cup of pasta water to deglaze the frying pan and get all of the crispy goodness from the fried prosciutto. That's where the flavor is!

Good quality prosciutto will usually run around ten to fourteen dollars a pound. The nice thing about prosciutto is that it can sit in your refrigerator for several weeks. So, if you don't use it all up the first time just toss it back into the frig for the next time.

So let's get started.............

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Prosciutto, Peas and Pasta

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***Ingredients***

1 lb of tube pasta such as penne, cellentani, cavatappi
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tblsp. olive oil
1/2 lb prosciutto cut into thin strips
2 cans (15 oz. each) of early peas with their liquid
4 cups of reserved pasta water
Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Freshly ground pepper

***Preparation***

In a large stock pot heat 10 to 12 cups of water to boiling. Cook pasta to al dente'. While the pasta is cooking heat a frying pan to medium high. Add olive oil and onion sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and prosciutto and cook until prosciutto is crispy and dark brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure not to burn the prosciutto. Drain pasta reserving 4 cups of pasta water. Return pasta to stock pot and pour in 3 cups of reserved pasta water and simmer over low heat.

Add the two cans of peas with their liquid to the simmering pasta. Add the fried onion, garlic and crisp prosciutto and stir. Use remaining cup of reserved pasta water to deglaze frying pan. Add this into the pasta as well. Stir everything together let simmer, about 2 minutes.

Serve in large pasta bowls topped with parmesan or pecorino romano cheese and freshly ground pepper.

**Be sure to have the onion, garlic and prosciutto chopped and ready go ahead of time.

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