Continuing with the comfort food theme, this is an easy week night meal to warm the chills.  There are few ingredients and you can mix and match depending on what you have on hand.

 

The pasta does not have to be bow tie pasta.  You could use elbow noodles, penne or even spaghetti.  The meat doesn’t have to be pancetta.  You could use prosciutto, bacon or chicken. The cream could be replaced either partially or totally with milk.  The rosemary can be replaced by fresh basil or even pesto.

 

What could be easier?  Oh the peas?  Try frozen mixed vegetables or even beans or broccoli.  This could be on the menu for a week and nobody would be wiser unless of course you don’t like pasta!

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 400 grams bowtie pasta, cooked as per package directions and set aside
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 250 grams pancetta, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups 35% cream
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 3 stalks of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Steps

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and brown the pancetta.  Remove the pancetta and in the same pan, sauté the onion until golden, about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.   Add in the stock and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add in the cream and stir to mix.  Add in the peas and rosemary, stir back in the pancetta.  Mix well and bring to a simmer so the peas will cook.  Add in the bowtie past with the parmesan cheese, reserving some to sprinkle over the individual plates.   When pasta mixture is hot, you are ready to serve.  I started this recipe with putting on the water to boil for the pasta.  When the pasta was cooked, my sauce was ready.  So this meal was ready inside 15 minutes.   We all had a healthy portion for dinner along with a garden salad.  I was looking forward to leftovers for lunch but my daughter beat me to it and ate the rest for breakfast.  I guess the dish turned out ok….