Pasta Shells With Pancetta And Peas

5 from 6 votes

Easy recipe of sauteed pancetta, onions, garlic and peas with shell pasta to catch all of the delicious flavor bits.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Cook pasta to 'al dente' (this means a firm bite, about 2 minutes less than package instructions) in salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water). Reserve at least 3 cups of pasta water.
Dice onion and slice 5 garlic cloves. Mince a 1/4 cup of fresh parsley.
In a large, deep pan saute the pancetta in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat.
After the pancetta has rendered and released its fat (about 8 minutes) add in the onions and saute until translucent and soft (about 5-8 minutes). After the onions are soft add the garlic in and cook for 3 minutes more.
Add the frozen peas to the pan along with a cup of pasta water. Turn heat to medium and let the peas cook for 5 minutes.
Add in the 'al dente' pasta, stir and cook for a few more minutes. The pasta will absorb some of the pasta water. If necessary add a ladle or 2 more of pasta water.
Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir it together and taste test. Adjust salt and pepper if required, and if the pasta is still too firm continue to cook for a few more minutes and add extra pasta water if needed.
After the pasta is fully cooked turn off the heat and add the fresh parsley. Serve with grated cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

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 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.