Creamy Penne Pasta with Pancetta & Peas
This creamy penne pasta with pancetta and peas is a quick, weeknight-friendly dish made with penne pasta tossed in a silky Parmesan cream sauce with sweet peas, crispy pancetta, and a hint of fresh mint. If you love simple Italian-inspired pasta dishes with big flavor and minimal fuss, this one is a keeper.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta or your preferred pasta
- 1 ounce diced pancetta
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup half & half
- ½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 3 ounces shredded parmesan plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon dried mint or 1 teaspoon fresh mint
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 8 ounces penne pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 ounce diced pancetta and cook until browned and crisp. Once cooked, remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper-lined plate to drain, keeping rendered fat in the skillet. {You may want to reserve a tiny bit for garnish.}
- Reduce heat. To the fat in the skillet, add 2 cloves garlic and cook for just under a minute until fragrant.
- Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until smooth; cook for about a minute. Pour in 1 cup half & half while whisking to avoid lumps. Whisk in ½ cup chicken broth until mixture is mostly smooth, and allow to simmer and thicken slightly {about a minute}.
- Add 3 ounces shredded parmesan and whisk until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted.
- Add 1 cup frozen peas and ½ teaspoon dried mint to the cheese sauce -- the heat of the sauce will thaw out the peas and should only take a few minutes to heat them all the way through. Stir in cooked pancetta.
- When pasta is cooked, drain and add directly to the sauce, stirring gently to coat pasta.
- Garnish with extra pancetta and cheese and serve hot!