EASY SPRING PASTA RECIPE

Greetings from Carmela's Cucina,

Are you looking for a really easy spring pasta recipe? The this is the one for you. A classic recipe from Emilia-Romagnia, where cream and butter are commonly used in pasta sauces. Fresh peas are the best for this dish, but frozen are perfectly acceptable and much quicker. Just add a salad some bread and fresh fruit and you have a wonderful but easy spring meal.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/4 cup cooked ham, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh green peas, shelled or 1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
1 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the chopped onion, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onion is soft.

Add the chopped ham, salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Add 1/4 cup of the stock and the peas then simmer for 2 minutes.

Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted, boiling water until the pasta is al dente. Just before the fettuccine is done cooking, add the cream to the skillet of sauce and stir until heated through and well blended.

Drain the fettuccine, and spread the pasta out on a flat platter or pasta dish. Pour the ham and pea sauce over it. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and parsley and toss before serving.

This is one of our family favorite dishes, I hope it will become one of yours too.

Buon appetito,

Carmela Tursi Hobbins