Penne with Peas, Cream, and Prosciutto
It was just a matter of time before I grew food in my backyard as a natural extension of all that I was doing in the kitchen. A novice in this arena, a dear friend helped me lay out my vegetable garden and gave me the stellar idea of wrapping my cages in saran wrap to ward off the critters. With spring being my first harvest, my first crop was English peas. The peas were so abundant that the plant overgrew its trellis and leaned sideways onto my tomato cages. Soon I was faced with the fabulous dilemma of what to do with all my peas. Then, I thought, why not pair penne pasta with English peas, cream, shallots, and prosciutto? But the key to this recipe was to deglaze the pan with white wine, which adds an overtone of flavors to the caramelized shallots and prosciutto. I knew I was on to something when my father ranked this dish as one of his top ten!
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled, fresh English peas or sweet peas, not snow peas
- 1 cup minced shallots
- 3 oz. prosciutto
- 1 lb. penne rigate pasta, bronze cut
- 2 T. minced garlic
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- Parmesan cheese to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Begin by shelling your peas or splitting open the pods and removing your peas from their pods. Then, reserve the shelled peas in a mixing bowl as you compost the empty shells. Next, bring enough water to a boil in a medium saucepan to cover the English peas by 3,” roughly, 2 quarts of water. Boil for 6-8 minutes or until the peas are tender and drain the liquid. Set the cooked peas aside in a mixing bowl.
- Step 2 Next, remove the outer skin from 2 large shallots and dice enough for 1 cup of shallots. Reserve the shallots in its own mixing bowl. Then, remove the papery outer skin from 4 large garlic cloves. My favorite way of doing so is to cut off the part where the root attached to the garlic. Then, I use the flat side of my knife to press down on the garlic. This typically loosens the outer skin, so peel it off and mince enough for 2 T. of garlic, reserving it in a small mixing bowl. Lastly, chop the prosciutto into small bites and set it aside in a separate mixing bowl.
- Step 3 Now, heat a 12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and after 1-2 minutes, add 2 T. of butter. After the butter melts, add the shallots and sauté for 6 minutes, stirring regularly, so the shallots don’t stick. At the 6-minute mark, add the garlic for 1 minute. Then, add 1 T. more butter if the shallots are sticking and ¼ cup of wine and the prosciutto. Deglaze or scrape the bottom of the pan of all its drippings as you stir the shallots, garlic, and prosciutto. Sauté until the shallots and prosciutto begin to turn golden brown, about 3-4 minutes more. Set aside.
- Step 4 Next, take an 8-quart stockpot and fill it with 6 quarts of water and 1 T. of salt, bringing it to a rolling boil over high heat. After the water has come to a boil, add the pasta, and wait until it reaches a rolling boil, again. Cook for about 11-13 minutes for al dente or longer until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Just be vigilant to stir the pasta, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Then, pour the pasta into a colander to drain the liquid and transfer the pasta to the skillet with the prosciutto, peas, and shallots. Next, add the cream to the skillet and scrape the bottom of the pan with all its drippings. Serve when everything is hot, with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
This out-of-this-world pasta is a delight with its overtones of savory prosciutto, caramelized shallots, and fresh English peas, all deglazed with a splash of dry white wine and thickened with heavy whipping cream. Rich in a complexity of flavors, this pasta hadn’t sparked my taste buds before. To strike on a new palate of flavors is the best gift a cook can get!
Nutritional Information: servings per recipe: 6, calories: 465, total fat: 22 g., saturated fat: 13.1 g., cholesterol: 73 mg., sodium: 457 mg., total carbohydrate: 45.5 g., dietary fiber: 5.3 g., total sugars: 6.2 g., protein: 18.2 g., calcium: 221 mg., iron: 2 mg., potassium: 188 mg., magnesium: mg., vitamin D: 20 mcg.