Pasta With Prosciutto & Peas.

This is the fifth recipe from my online cooking club. Another quick, delicious & fresh tasting dish! Plus I'm a sucker for a creamy lemony sauce!

I'd like to point out that the labels below aren't wrong, it does say both vegetarian and ham to identify the same recipe. I wasn't going to use prosciutto because I didn't have any and didn't feel like going to the store. But we ran out of milk and some other stuff so I decided I'd get some while I was there. I put the prosciutto in my basket and am almost positive I put it on the counter, but when I got home there was no prosciutto & I hadn't been charged for it either. Very strange........so tonight's dinner is without prosciutto and therefore vegetarian.

I'm also submitting this, although last minute, into Ruth of Once Upon A Feast's wonderful blogging event Presto Pasta Night, hosted this week by Michelle of Greedy Gourmet. Check out the round-up tomorrow for some delicious pasta dishes.

I served the pasta with salad and my new favorite, which I'm calling make-do garlic herb bread. I spread a little bit of butter on some leftover hot dog buns and sprinkled with fresh herbs (basil & marjarom) and topped with a bit of mozzarella cheese. Put in the oven on 350-400 until cheese is melted and bread is slightly browned & toasted.

Pasta with prosciutto and peas

coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
12 oz fettuccine
1 tbsp butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas, thawed
8 slices prosciutto (4 oz total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat; add the shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. pour the sauce over the pasta; add the Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4
Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

My thoughts: I used whole wheat penne instead of fettuccine, on the advice of a few who'd already made the recipe. I used minced garlic instead of the shallot and had a bag of peas & carrots, so I went with that instead of just plain peas. I put in more heavy cream than called for and used the juice of one whole lemon. The addition of crushed red pepper added some nice heat to the dish.