Shell Pasta With Pancetta And Peas

Pancetta and peas are the perfect flavor combo!  By themselves, they make a bright and flavorful side dish.  Combine them with shell pasta and you’ll have a complete meal that’s easy to make and can be on your table in about 30 minutes!  

This post is sponsored through a paid partnership with Citterio USA.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To make this dish even simpler we used the super versatile Citterio Cubetti pancetta.  It comes already diced, making it a cinch to create this dish!  Seriously this is a fast recipe that we love for busy weeknights.  Get the pasta boiling early on, saute the pancetta, then onions and garlic, add in the peas and pasta, cook for a few more minutes and it’s all done.

Don’t let the simplicity fool you, this dish certainly tastes more complex than it is.  Just finish it with some good quality extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese as we do in almost all of our pasta recipes, and you’ll be all set.  Our favorite part?  The sweet peas and pancetta always nestle themselves inside the shells – further proof that they are the perfect pasta shape for this dish.

Ingredients Needed For Shells With Pancetta And Peas

Each numbered pic corresponds to the numbered written instructions below.

For this recipe, you will need pancetta (click here to find Citterio Cubetti pancetta), 1 pound of frozen peas, 1 medium onion, 5 cloves of garlic, olive oil, parsley, and pasta water.  Serving with extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese is optional but highly recommended.

How To Make Shells With Pancetta And Peas

1. Begin by dicing one medium onion, and slicing 5 cloves of garlic.  Also, mince a 1/4 cup of parsley.   Cook pasta to 2 minutes less than package instructions and reserve at least 3 cups of the pasta water.

2. In a large deep pan saute the pancetta in 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-low heat.
3. After the pancetta starts to release its fat and crisp up (about 8 minutes) add in the onion and saute for 5-8 minutes until soft and translucent.  Next, add the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

4. Add the frozen peas and a cup of pasta water to the pan.  Turn heat to medium and let the peas cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Add in the ‘al dente’ pasta shells and give it all a stir.

6. Let the pasta cook for a few minutes in the pan to absorb some of the pasta water.  As the shells absorb the pasta water, add a ladle or 2 more as needed.  Add a 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.  Stir it together and taste test.  If the pasta is too firm, continue to cook for a few more minutes.  Adjust salt and pepper if needed, and if satisifed turn off the heat and add the fresh parsley.

Serve with grated cheese and a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on each serving.  Note – If the pasta dries out at all before serving guests, just add a couple more ladles of the pasta water.  The dish shouldn’t be soupy, but at the same time, you don’t want it too dry.

Top Tips

• Feel free to use double the amount of pancetta for a stronger more robust flavor.
• Use a large, deep pan to hold all of the pasta, peas, and pancetta.
• Make sure to reserve a few cups of the pasta water.  If the pasta dries out before serving just add a ladle full of pasta water to bring back the perfect consistency.
• Shells are recommended to catch the pancetta and peas, but any small pasta can be used.
• Serve with grated cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

• Pasta e Ceci
• Pasta Con Broccoli
• Rigatoni With Cauliflower And Bacon
• Spaghetti Carbonara

If you’ve enjoyed this Shells With Pancetta And Peas Recipe or any recipe on this site please let us know in the comments.  We would love to hear how you did and it’s nice to show others as well.  Thanks!

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This post was sponsored through a paid partnership with Citterio USA.