Recipe Swapbox for April: Pasta!

Hey, I'm back!

And today is the Recipe Swapbox hosted by a bloggy-friend at i have to say. The theme for April is PASTA. YUM! Go check out the yummy recipes (and Howdy to all those stopping by from her blog!) and then come on back here and give this one a try.

So, being a seasonal food blog, I decided I needed to find a pasta dish that is appropriate for early spring. I figure early spring peas will be on hand soon, and if you don't have them yet, you can always use frozen.

Peas and Prosciutto Sauce with Cream
adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - my FAVORITE Italian cookbook

3 T butter
A 1/2-inch thick slice of prosciutto or country ham, diced very fine
1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed (how good would fresh be! might need to be blanched before using in this recipe)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (plus a little at the table for topping)
1 to 1 1/2 lbs of penne pasta (or other tubular pasta)

Put the butter and diced prosciutto into a saute pan and turn on the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or less, stirring frequently. Add the peas, and cook for another minute or so, stirring to coat them well.

Add the cream, salt, and several grindings of pepper, and turn up the heat to high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. Toss the sauce with cooked, drained pasta, swirling in the grated parmesan. Serve immediately, with additional grated cheese.

Wouldn't this be fantastic with a salad of early spring greens?

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