Pasta with Pancetta and Peas

5 from 2 votes

Pasta with Pancetta and Peas

This Pasta with Pancetta and Peas is made by cooking pancetta, shallot, and garlic in a white wine, and butter sauce with cherry tomatoes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 747kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 oz pancetta
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ lbs cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
¼ cup white wine
3 tablespoon butter
1 cup frozen peas
1 lb pasta (high quality if possible *see note: rigatoni, penne or "calamari" shaped pasta)
salt to taste

Instructions

Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat. On an electric stove, this will be a setting of “4” on a scale of “1-10”. Add the pancetta and sautéfor 5 minutes until lightly browned.
Remove the pancetta and set aside. Add the shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the cherry tomatoes, and gently stir occasionally for 6-8 minutes until they soften and have started to release their juices but are still intact. Season with a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, prepare the pasta. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than is indicated as al dente on the package. You want the pasta to be just shy of al dente so that you can “finish” the pasta in the sauce where it will cook for another 1-2 minutes
Turn the heat up slightly to a “6” out of “1-10”. Add the white wine and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until you no longer smell the wine cooking. Reduce the heat to medium (“4”). Add the butter and allow to melt. Stir gently to combine the sauce.
Add the frozen peas and pancetta. Stir to combine.
Add the pasta stirring to combine and warm through for 1-2 minutes. Taste, and add salt if needed.
Remove from the heat and serve.

Notes

White Wine: Use a dry white wine that you would enjoy drinking. Or if you prefer you can skip this step. If you do skip the wine, I would recommend not substituting or skipping other ingredients like the pancetta.
Pasta: If possible, choose high-quality Italian imported pasta made with durum wheat semolina that has been slow-dried. It will taste much better (be sure not to overcook it), and it will become one of the stars of the dish. Otherwise, for a less expensive approach, my favorite brand is Barilla. Choose rigatoni, penne, or a wide fat pasta shape like this “calamari” shaped pasta.
Al Dente Pasta: The timing for al dente listed on the pasta packaging is a good guide, but it is not always reliable. Some companies have a more accurate cooking time than others. If you are not sure, check the pasta once or twice a few minutes before the allotted time. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove a piece of pasta, run it under cold water until it's not too hot to eat, and taste test.
Reserving Pasta Water: If you love a "saucier" sauce, reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water which can be added to the sauce at the end according to your taste preferences.
Adding Salt: The pancetta has quite a bit of salt in it and your butter might too. Depending on your salt preferences, add a pinch of salt to the tomatoes as they are cooking. Check again at the end and adjust if needed.
Serving the Sauce Separately: If you want to serve the pasta and the sauce separately you can absolutely do that too. Just boil the pasta until al dente and serve the sauce and the pasta separately. The pasta won't soak up the sauce and flavor, but it will still taste great. This may be helpful if you have picky eaters.

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