Pasta With Peas, Prosciutto and Lettuce

By Mark Bittman

Pasta With Peas, Prosciutto and Lettuce
Evan Sung for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(372)
Comments
Read comments

Since I began eating more plants and less meat, I’ve experimented with using small amounts of meat in ways that exploit its flavor without making it central to the dish. In this recipe — pasta with spring vegetables — the meat is literally a garnish, but one with huge impact.

That meat is prosciutto, and it’s briefly cooked in a bit of oil, which accomplishes two things: It intensifies the ham’s salty, meaty flavor, and it makes the prosciutto crisp, turning it into a nice textural foil for the tender pasta, peas and lettuce.

You do need three pans to make this dish — a small skillet, a large skillet and a large pot for the pasta — but it’s so fast that a little extra cleanup seems worth the trouble.

Featured in: Using Meat Mainly for Flavor

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Salt
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 to 3ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips
  • 1pound pasta
  • 2tablespoons butter
  • 1shallot, minced
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 2cups peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1head Bibb or Boston lettuce (about 6 ounces), cored, leaves cut into ¾-inch slices
  • ½cup chicken or vegetable stock or dry white wine, more as needed
  • 1cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

830 calories; 29 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 102 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 976 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Meanwhile, put one tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add prosciutto and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    When water boils, add pasta and cook until just tender; drain pasta, reserving some cooking liquid. Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook until shallot begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add peas, lettuce and stock or wine to skillet and cook until peas turn bright green and lettuce is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add pasta to pan and continue cooking and stirring until everything is just heated through, adding extra stock or some reserved cooking liquid if needed to moisten. Toss with Parmesan cheese, garnish with prosciutto, adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
372 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Maureen

It would seem two skillets are overkill here. No reason the prosciutto can't be cooked in the large skillet, removed from the pan when cooked, and then simply cook the shallot (and later the peas & lettuce) there.

kaye

How 'bout cooking the peas, etc., in the same pan used for the prosciutto? Added flavor and one less pan to wash!

Andrea

I like the simplicity of the dish. I would use radicchio as the leafy veg to cut the richness of butter,prosciutto and parmesan.

Nan Dem

Used what I had: ham, mixed garden lettuce, onion and lots of snow peas. Could have used less pasta and cheese, but over all very good.

John MacNicholas

Fabulous recipe! We sautéed some shiitake mushrooms along with the shallots, which provided even more umami. Other than that, we changed nothing. The effect of cooking the prosciutto is beyond wonderful. We used only one large skillet for everything. Kudos to Mark Bittmann!

Gretchen

This was easy and delicious! I used the same pan for meat and veggies and it worked fine. I don’t have prosciutto on hand and was looking to use some some deli ham so used that instead and it worked. I also used spinach instead of leaf lettuce since it’s what I had on hand. Delicious and light recipe.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.