#96 - Spaghetti with Peas, Pancetta, and Spring Onions

We made the tuna and white bean bruschetta as an appetizer, but the main course tonight was this pasta dish from Chef Obi Wan, Jonathan Waxman.

Spaghetti with Peas, Pancetta, and Spring Onions

From Italian My Way This is a pasta with a cream sauce, with peas, spring onions, and - you guessed it - pancetta. Jonathan Waxman had a recipe for homemade pasta, but when we tried it, the dough never came out right, so we went with Plan B, and used some Barilla spaghetti. If you're not making your own pasta, this is a pretty simple recipe. You cook the pancetta in some unsalted butter, then you add the cream and greens, and you top it with some Gruyere cheese, and you're done. This was a really good alternative to your standard Alfredo sauce. When we want a simple pasta, we usually whip up an Alfredo and add whatever we have laying around - ham, peas, rotisserie chicken, whatever.

But this shows what you get if you plan out ahead of time. The pancetta goes really well with the peas and green onions, and the Gruyere cheese adds a different dimension than what we're used to.

Simple and delicious. That's what Chef Kenobi does. Make this, and you'll be pleased.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pancetta, diced
• 2 cups spring peas
• 3 spring onions, diced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the pancetta and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the peas, spring onions, and cream and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
5. At the same time, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
6. Drain the pasta
7. Toss the cooked spaghetti with the sauce and Gruyere cheese and serve.