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Barilla® Penne with Pancetta, Peas and Parmesan Sauce

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: The Kitchen Prep

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. Barilla® Penne Pasta
  • 1 oz. diced pancetta
  • 1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup half & half
  • ½ cup chicken 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 pasta and cook according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 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 garlic and cook for just under a minute until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until smooth; cook for about a minute. Pour in half & half while whisking to avoid lumps. Pour in chicken broth and whisk until mixture is mostly smooth, and allow to simmer and thicken slightly {about a minute}. Add Parmesan and whisk until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted.
  • Add frozen peas and 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!