Tags: Mom of Boys Pasta People Quick Recipes Weekday Meals
Adrian and I found this little Italian restaurant tucked away down one of the many side streets in downtown Carmel, CA. They served the most delicious pasta with peas and pancetta in a heavenly creamy sauce. After we moved to Virginia, I tried to replicate it with no luck. I’m not a huge alfredo sauce fan. It tastes yummy while you’re eating it, but I hate that heavy, oily feeling you get after. It feels like you have a brick in your belly. I looked online for variations of this pasta and found that some skipped the alfredo all together, using just parmesan, but it was too dry. After some experimentation, I discovered that all you need to create the illusion of cream sauce is a little of the starchy pasta water.
When Liev started eating more textured foods, I adjusted our meals to accommodate him. That way, I cooked just one meal—everyone ate the same dish. This didn’t always work, but there were a few meals this worked brilliantly with. This pea and pancetta pasta was one of them.
Before adjusting it for Liev, I’d use linguini pasta but switched to orzo for him and it worked perfectly. When he got a little older I found this adorable alphabet pasta. Don’t worry though, if you can’t find alphabet pasta or simply don’t want to go searching for it, use orzo (or any other small pasta).
This recipe creates a wonderfully creamy pasta which is perfect for little ones.
ALPHABET PEA & PANCETTA PASTA
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ lb pancetta, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 ½ cup pasta
1 Tbsp butter
¼ Parmesan, grated.
Cook your pasta according to package directions. Add frozen peas during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time. Before draining, set aside some of the starchy pasta water.
While your pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the garlic and pancetta and cook until pancetta is golden brown. Pour mixture into cooked pasta and peas. Stir in butter.
Pour the reserved pasta water in a little at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Stir in the grated parmesan and enjoy!
NOTE: You may need to add more pasta water after adding the parmesan. Depends on the consistency you’re trying to achieve.
