Fusilli with Peas and Pancetta
Fusilli noodles, peas, and crispy pancetta in a light white wine cream sauce
Equipment
- 1 large saute pan or braising pan
- 1 large stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. diced pancetta
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano, divided
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 lb. dried fusilli pasta
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt to the water.
- In a large sauté pan with sides, heat oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and brown until crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain pancetta on a plate lined with a paper towel. Leave oil in the pan.
- Next, add shallot and saute until soft about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Pour wine into the pan and turn heat to medium high. Scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for alcohol to burn off, about 4 minutes.
- To the pan, add the peas, 1/2 cup parmesan, cooked pancetta, and heavy cream. Stir until mixture comes together. Let simmer over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, cook fusilli in salted boiling water until al dente. When cooked, transfer pasta into the cream mixture using a slotted spoon or pasta sieve. Some of the pasta water will come along with the pasta. This is intentional. It helps bring the sauce together.
- Let pasta come together with the sauce over low heat, about 3-4 minutes. To finish, add last 1/2 cup parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with extra parmesan on the table.
Notes
Katie's Tips:
*Be sure to add a large handful of salt to the water before you cook the pasta. This is your only time to flavor the pasta.
*Cook pasta just until done. In Italian this is called al dente, meaning a little bite. Insert childhood memory of my dad yelling at my mom for overcooking the pasta. If the box says 9-11 minutes set timer for 8:30 and do a taste test.
*Use white wine that you would drink. I like to drink and cook with pinot grigio. I accidentally used a Diamond Mountain Chardonay for this recipe today. My husband informed me it was 200 dollars. Oops. I guess I have to drink the rest tonight! I usually cook with a 15–20-dollar bottle of wine.
*I like to tramsfer the cooked pasta directly into the pasta sauce. The starchy pasta water helps to thicken the sauce and bring the whole dish together.
*I always boil a pound of pasta. 3/4 lb. fits well in the pan and is a perfect ratio for the other ingredients. I use the extra noodles to serve my daughter buttered noodles.
*Be sure to use Parmesan Reggiano cheese. The processed Parm will not melt properly. You can tell it's real by the writing on the rind of the cheese.
*To add some acid to this dish, chopped sundried tomatoes are an excellent addition.
*If I am serving this to just adults, I often sprinkle with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. I find kids are typically averse to green garnishes.
*If you can't find fusilli, just go with Rigatoni or Rotini. Any short tubular pasta will work.
*This pasta reheats like a gem for a perfect next day lunch.