This pancetta and pea pasta is a quick and delicious weeknight dinner recipe. It can be on your table in less than 30 minutes! The garlicky cream sauce is lightened up by using half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
This creamy pancetta pasta recipe is really simple; it only has a handful of ingredients, and many of them are pantry staples.
If you like spaghetti carbonara and peas, it's likely that you will enjoy this dish. There's no eggs in here, but we've got similar flavors going on.
What is pancetta?
Pancetta is an Italian bacon that's made of cured pork belly. It crisps up wonderfully in this pasta dish! I buy pre-diced cubes from the deli section of my local grocery store.
The pancetta pasta sauce is nicely balanced. The peas and creamy sauce are the perfect complement to the salty pancetta.
Pro tip: If you can't find pancetta, you can always just make this pasta with peas and bacon.
Will you make this easy pancetta pea pasta?
Pancetta and Pea Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (I recommend linguine)
- 1 (4.4 ounce) package diced pancetta
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 1 cup peas (I used frozen)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet, fry the pancetta over medium-high heat until it's nice and crispy (about 10 min.).
- If there's a lot of fat left over, drain the majority of it.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the half-and-half, Italian seasoning, and peas.
- Let the sauce bubble for a few minutes, then drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet, along with the parmesan.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce and let it cook for a few more minutes, tossing often (turn heat down to medium/med-low). This will help more of the starch to release from the pasta so the sauce thickens up a bit more. Serve immediately with fresh cracked pepper if desired.
Notes
- You can dice the pancetta yourself if you can't find the pre-diced variety. Pancetta is pretty salty, so I don't typically add extra salt to dishes with pancetta in them (aside from the pasta water, of course).
Looking for more easy pancetta recipes? Try my pasta with pancetta, mushrooms, and garlic.
M.K. says
Do you put the peas in still frozen? I cooked this tonight and the sauce turned out very watery, unfortunately :/ trying to figure out what I did wrong!
Natasha says
Hi! Hmm... I do put them in frozen, yes. I'm wondering if you just needed to let the sauce reduce a little longer and do step 6 for a little more time. Or, using heavy cream instead of the half-and-half will help it thicken faster.
April says
This was delicious! And so easy to make.
Natasha says
Great to hear, thanks!! 🙂 Appreciate you taking the time to write me a review, April!
Michelle says
We have tried this twice. Both times fantastic! And a super simple recipe! The first time we followed the recipe 100% and then the second time we used orecchiette pasta and also added toasted pine nuts which recalled added a nice addition to the flavors.
Natasha says
I am so glad that you like it, Michelle! Thanks for letting me know. Love the pine nuts idea!
Jessica says
This pasta is so easy and so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!
Karly says
Love how quick and delicious this looks! Can't wait to try!
Natasha says
Thanks, Karly! 🙂