Summer Pasta

Summer is here in full fling. The weather is hot, the A/C is blasting, and that means summer produce is in season. I've been munching on strawberry spinach salads with bleu cheese crumbles, candied walnuts, and poppy seed dressing. Another veggie in season are peas. I'm usually not a huge fan of peas, but Trader Joe's has a nice little package of fresh English Peas for sale right now. I think they have a much firmer texture and brighter flavor than your run-of-the-mill frozen peas. I stumbled upon this recipe for a nice summer pasta with fresh peas and pancetta. It would be great to pick up some peas from your local farmer's market for this dish. This has become one of JC's favorite dishes and it takes about 15 minutes to prepare. Easy, cheap, and quick--the perfect triad.

Pea and Pancetta Pasta
inspired by Mario Batali's Spaghettini with Peas and Pancetta

• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. pancetta
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch scallion, sliced
• 2 c. fresh peas
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
• 1/2 grated parmesan cheese

Boil water and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until most of the fat has been rendered. Add the garlic and scallions, and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the peas and 1/2 cup pasta water. Stir well and cook over high heat until the peas are tender and the liquid has reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat. When pasta is done cooking, drain pasta and save 1/4 cup of pasta water. Add pea mixture to pasta and add reserved pasta water. Grate in some cheese and stir well. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese.