Quick Creamy Pesto Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas

Prosciutto adds the perfect salty balance to sweet baby peas in this delicious light and creamy pesto pasta. It’s on the table in under 30 minutes, making it a wonderful comforting weeknight meal. With its unbelievable flavor, I believe it is also special enough for weekend entertaining.

In Italy, pasta prosciutto e piselli is a classic dish. I created a creamy pesto version of this classic which I believe you will really enjoy. Rigatoni pasta is coated in a light velvety basil pesto sauce. It is tossed with paper thin slices of prosciutto and tender sweet baby peas. The layers of flavor in this dish combine perfectly for an irresistible meal that you and your family will love.

The recipe is simple and quick. In the time it takes to boil the pasta, you can have the sauce ready. Once everything is tossed together, your meal can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

This pasta dish is adaptable to your own tastes and what is available during the season at your market. While homemade pesto is wonderful, a refrigerated store bought pesto will work equally well. And while imported prosciutto from Italy is delicious, domestic prosciutto is perfect in this recipe.

This meal really doesn’t need a side dish. However, a green salad and crusty bread go nicely. As for a wine pairing, I would suggest a crisp Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, Italy. It marries well with the peas and its sharpness cuts through the richness from the pasta and cheese.

My husband and I usually have pasta for our Sunday evening meal. You will find many of the pasta recipes I have created like this one on my blog. If you like pasta and peas, you will enjoy my recipes for Creamy Chicken Fettuccine With Peas, or my Fettuccine And Peas In A Prosciutto Cream Sauce, or my recipe for Spring Pea And Lamb Pasta With Minty Pea Pesto.

Creamy Pesto Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter, adjust the recipe accordingly

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 oz. rigatoni per person is recommended * see note
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 of a large onion, diced small
• 1 garlic clove, minced fine
• 2 – 3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into small dice* see note
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. pesto (homemade or your favorite store bought)* see note
• 1/2 c. frozen baby sweet peas, use more or less to suit your taste* see note
• salt and pepper to taste (remember the prosciutto is salty)
• reserved pasta cooking water, as needed
• 1/4 c. grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta to the water, stir and cook according to package directions. about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the product. 
3. While the pasta cooks, heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
4. Add the olive oil and the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add the prosciutto and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Deglaze the pan with wine and cook until reduced by half. 
7. Add the cream and the pesto. Simmer until slightly thicken, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Using a skimmer, transfer the pasta to sauce, along with about 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water and toss.  
8. Add the frozen peas right at the end. Cook, stirring and tossing until pasta is al dente and sauce is thickened. Add more cooking water, as needed, to achieve desired consistency and pasta is cooked to your liking.
9. Add the cheese and toss one last time.
10. Serve in bowls. Pass extra cheese at the table so guests can add the amount of extra cheese they want over their pasta

Rigatoni is a great pasta for holding sauces both inside and out and helps capture all the sauce’s flavor. Penne is another short pasta that would work well in this dish as would orecchietti.

When preparing this dish, save your imported prosciutto for an antipasto platter. Instead, use 2 or 3 ounces of domestic prosciutto. You can also use finely diced pancetta or bacon for a similar flavor.

You can make your own fresh pesto for this recipe if you have basil growing in your garden. As the seasons change, you can also buy pesto already prepared in the refrigerator section of your local market.

If sweet baby peas aren’t to your liking, try diced asparagus or mushrooms. They will go great with the sauce.

NOTES FROM THE KITCHEN

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Italy is known for its wonderful pasta dishes. In the Emilia–Romagna region of Italy, one of the classics is pasta with peas and prosciutto. It can be prepared either with butter or cream. The small amount of cream in the dish creates a lush texture that clings to the pasta. It does so without adding a lot of richness. By adding pesto to this classic, it brightened the color and additional flavor. My husband and I loved this delicious pasta dish and will be serving it to our guests soon.