Fettuccine with Pancetta & Peas

Written by Published on in Main Dishes, Pasta

I know everyone is thinking about their Thanksgiving turkey at the moment, but I want to interrupt your holiday menu planning with this quick and easy pasta dish! Some of you may be asking, “what is pancetta?” Well, in short, pancetta is bacon’s Italian cousin. 🙂 Both bacon and pancetta are made from pork belly, but the difference is in how they are cured. Pancetta is cured and unsmoked, whereas bacon is cured and smoked. I find pancetta to be saltier and not as greasy as bacon. Pancetta can be cut super thin to wrap around veggies (asparagus, green beans etc.) or meats before cooking. For this recipe, I like the pancetta to be cut a little thicker (1/4″ is good).

So, where do you buy pancetta? Well, if you live in my area, I’m happy to report that Koch’s General Store is now carrying pancetta, plus a really delicious Calabrese Salami (recipe coming soon!!) Both of these products will have you exclaiming, “Mama Mia!” in no time!

Fettuccine with Pancetta & Peas
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Fettuccine with Pancetta & Peas

Recipe by JuneCourse: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Fettuccine, plus 1 cup of reserved pasta water

  • 1/2 lb Pancetta (or bacon), sliced 1/4″ thick and diced

  • 1/2 Onion, diced

  • 10 oz bag Frozen Peas

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/4 C. Grated Parmesan, plus more for topping

  • 1/4 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

  • 1/2 Lemon

Directions

  • Cook pasta until al dente, 10-11 minutes. Reserve 1 Cup of pasta water before draining.
  • Over medium heat, sauté pancetta in a large stockpot until brown and crispy, 6-7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve as much grease as possible.
  • Allow pan to cool for a minute before adding the onion. Add a little extra-virgin olive oil if needed.
  • Sauté onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add in peas and garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until peas are cooked through.
  • Stir in parmesan, heavy whipping cream, pancetta and the fettucine. Pour in reserved pasta water a little at a time (you will most likely not use the entire cup) to moisten and loosen the noodles. Squeeze lemon over dish (I place a fork under the lemon to catch any seeds) and toss to incorporate. Sprinkle with extra parmesean and serve!

Notes

  • Adapted from Food Network’s – Pasta, Pancetta & Peas recipe
 

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