I was, admittedly, overwhelmed by December. I was so overwhelmed by the enormity of it that…get this…I often cooked dinner and didn’t take pictures. What?!?! I know. The first time I made this, in December, my family went nuts over it. They enjoyed it so much that I immediately regretted my laziness and wished I’d taken out my camera. When my family found out that I didn’t take pictures of the process to share with you, they were all pretty excited…because it meant they got to have it again in the very near future.
So, fast forward to January and I’m recovered from craziness that was the end of 2016, and ready to cook AND snap a few pictures at the same time. I made this again a few nights ago, and just like before, my family gobbled it up and went back for more. It’s really an easy meal to throw together, and the crispy, sizzled prosciutto on top gives what would otherwise be just a simple weeknight pasta dinner, some fabulous flair.
The meal comes together quickly, so while my pasta water was coming to a boil on the stove top, I prepped all of my ingredients.
You don’t even need to thaw out the peas. That’s how easy this is. The hardest part is taking to time to slice up all of the prosciutto.
I added my pasta to the boiling, salted water, and then started sizzling up my prosciutto.
I let it sizzle in the pan until it was nice and crisp, and then I removed it to a plate lined with paper towels, and left the rendered fat behind.
To the pan, I added my chopped onion, salt, and pepper, and I cooked it for about five minutes, until it was softened and starting to brown.
Once the onion softened, I threw in some chopped garlic and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, and gave it a stir before adding in a large can of whole tomatoes (that I’d drained and then crushed by hand). I let the mixture cook for about ten minutes, letting it thicken up a bit as it bubbled away.
While the sauce was bubbling, I finished cooking my pasta, and drained it, but not before saving a half-cup of the pasta water to add to my sauce.
Once the sauce had cooked down a while, I added in a cup and a half of frozen peas, 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and some of the reserved pasta water.
I gave it a good stir, and gradually added in more pasta water until the sauce was exactly the consistency I was looking for.
Then, I added in my cooked pasta, and gave it a good toss before heaping it onto our plates.
Once it was plated, I topped each serving with a pile of that crispy, salty prosciutto, and then finished it off with a sprinkle of parm.
And once again, my family was thrilled and gobbled it all up.
And next time I make it, the picture pressure is back off. Yay! Hope you all enjoy it too.
FARFALLE WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO AND PEAS
Farfalle with Crispy Prosciutto and Peas
Recipe Type: Pasta
Author: Adapted from Cook’s Country
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
- 12 oz. farfalle
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 6 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz.) can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained and then crushed by hand
- 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Bring four quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta. Add a tablespoon of salt, stir, and then pour the pasta in. Stir frequently, and cook until al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and then drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto, and cook until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the crisped prosciutto from the pan with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Put the pan back on the heat, keeping the rendered fat from the prosciutto, and add the chopped onion and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes (make sure they are drained and crushed!), and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens up a bit, roughly 10 minutes.
- Add the peas, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water to the sauce. Stir to combine, and then add the pasta. Toss carefully. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more pasta water.
- Serve, with the crisped prosciutto piled on top, and the extra Parmesan sprinkled over the dish.
- ENJOY!
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