Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas

If you haven't met my friend Prosciutto, you should introduce yourself. He is a delightful mild, cured ham that can be eaten right out of the package, which I have a bad habit of doing. Good for appetizers and great for pasta. Such as the yumminess below... I especially liked this one because of the lemon. It was not too over-powering at all. And if I can remember correctly, I think this was from Everyday Food.




12 oz fettuccine
1 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 10 oz package frozen peas, thawed
8 slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, about 1 cup
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain pasta and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium low heat, add butter. Once the butter is melted, add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream, peas, and prosciutto. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in lemon zest and juice. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Pour sauce over pasta. Toss and add Parmesan and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with additional grated Parmesan on top.

Yields 6 servings.