Michael: “I was in Italy recently, and I absolutely fell in love with this pasta which is pretty simple, and just delicious. It is basically and ham and Parmesan cheese, and little else.”
Mark: “Is it the one that has peas in it?”
Michael: “Well it sometimes has peas in it—which I like, but I also love it without peas as well.”
Mark: “Is it made with lardons, or pancetta?”
Michael: “It can be made with that. It is sort of a peasant dish, often made with the ham from that pig’s head.”
I told Michael that I would do a little research and maybe add just one or two things to it to make it creamy without adding too much more than just the ham, the cheese, the optional peas, and the pasta. He gave me his full approval, and as you can see, it came out perfectly. Don’t worry, you won’t have to find a pig’s head to make this wonderful trademark Italian dish!
Ingredients:
—1 1/2 cups cubed or shredded Ham (or Pancetta)
—2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese
—1/4 cup Sour Cream
—1 1/2 cups Peas (frozen or fresh)
—1/8 cup Olive Oil
—1/2 pound cooked Pasta
Possible additions: sautéed Onions, sautéed Portobello Mushrooms, sliced Black Olives, and / or a garnish of chopped Flat Leaf Parsley.
NOTE: For this pasta dish you can use Fusilli, Ziti, Farfalle, Orecchiette, or whatever shape you like. This recipe is easier to toss everything together those shapes. However, this also works with Spaghetti, Fettuccine, or Linguini as well.
Start the water for the pasta, and when it boils begin the pasta cooking process. In a large frying pan place the ham or pancetta, and begin to brown it a bit. If you are using cooked cubed ham, add the olive oil and begin to heat it up. If you are using pancetta, you will need to brown it and remove the “bacon grease” that will be in the pan before you start.
When the ham or pancetta is warmed up in the pan, add the peas, and lightly sauté them together. If the pasta is not done yet, just take the frying pan off the heat until it is ready.
Drain the cooked pasta, and put it in the frying pan and return it to the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and sour cream, and toss everything together in the frying pan. Make sure and toss all the ingredients together quickly before the Parmesan cheese begins to clump together. Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper on top of it.
Suggestion: serve this pasta with a fresh green salad, for a great balanced meal.
This cheesy, rich, and hearty pasta dish easily serves two or three people, depending on portions. You can make this plain and uncomplicated like Michael prefers it, or you can easily add sautéed mushrooms or onions. This is a delicious true taste of Italy, thanks to my favorite Doobie Brother: the charming Michael McDonald!