Prosciutto Pasta with Peas and Parmesan Cheese - simple and quick recipe, only 30 minutes from start to finish. This easy, delicious, and very Italian pasta makes a perfect weeknight dinner!
How to make prosciutto pasta
The sauce for this prosciutto pasta recipe is made with just butter and shredded Parmesan cheese, no cream involved.
- First, cook the prosciutto a little bit in the butter to release some of its juiciness and saltiness. Add black pepper.
- Then, add cooked and drained penne pasta and green peas. (Note: Make sure to cook the pasta and the peas before you cook the prosciutto in butter.)
- Next, add shredded Parmesan cheese and stir everything to combine on medium heat. The cheese melts nicely around the butter and coats the pasta. The cheese should melt just fine with all the butter but if you find the pasta and the sauce too dry, just add a small amount of reserved pasta water, only about ¼ cup, on medium heat. But, really, you won't need to, most likely.
- This is what your prosciutto pasta should look like with all this melted cheese and butter:
What is prosciutto?
Prosciutto is an Italian cured ham. It is usually sliced very thinly. It has a buttery sweet and salty flavor that melts in your mouth. If you want to learn more about prosciutto, here are two really good articles to read: the Difference Between Bacon, Pancetta, and Prosciutto and What Is Prosciutto?
What are the best ways to eat prosciutto?
In Italy, it's usually served as an antipasto, alongside tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese, or Burrata cheese, or a melon. Italians love prosciutto in sandwiches. It's often used in pasta. It's also a popular topping on pizzas.
Prosciutto is really delicious in pasta. It's already so salty, you will likely not need to season your pasta with salt. When your prosciutto pasta with peas is ready, sprinkle it with shredded or grated Parmesan cheese.
Helpful tips
- What pasta to use. Use any type of pasta you like. I find it easier to make this with short pasta, such as penne, bow-tie pasta (farfalle), or spiral pasta (fusilli).
- What cheese to use. Parmesan cheese is an obvious choice. You can also use Asiago cheese or Romano.
- What kind of peas to use. Use fresh green peas that are usually sold frozen. Do not use canned peas - those are quite different from what is needed in this pasta.
How to store and reheat it
- Fridge. Prosciutto pasta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- How to reheat. Reheat this pasta in the microwave oven for 1 minute, and it's ready to go!
What to serve with it
- Bread. Serve Prosciutto pasta with a slice of warm Italian bread, garlic loaf, or olive bread.
- Add protein. Add grilled meat, such as chicken, pork, or steak to add protein to this meal and make it more substantial.
- Salad. Make a simple salad to add healthy veggies. Good choices are simple spinach salad with pine nuts or arugula salad with parmesan and lemon zest.
Other pasta recipes you might like
- Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce
- Spicy Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Peas
- Chicken Bacon Zucchini Pasta
Prosciutto Pasta with Peas and Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta penne
- 1 cup green peas frozen
- 3 oz prosciutto
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground or freshly cracked
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded
- ⅛ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. During the last 5-7 minutes of cooking, add frozen peas and continue boiling both the pasta and frozen peas for 5-7 more minutes. Drain. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.
- Tear prosciutto into smaller pieces.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter on medium heat. Add the torn prosciutto and stir to coat it with butter, for about 1 minute. Add black pepper. Add another 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.
- To the skillet with butter and prosciutto add drained cooked pasta with peas. Sprinkle ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over pasta. Stir everything together on medium heat until the cheese melts. If needed, add a small amount of pasta water (about ¼ cup) - but you might not need to.
- Season with salt, if needed. Serve immediately, topped with the remaining ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
My husband and I love this dish! It's so simple yet so flavorful. Every time I make it, the part and proscuito end up in a big blob, even if I use the pasta water. The cheese ends up stringy, not saucy. Do you have any suggestions so this doesn't happen? It still tastes great but it makes it hard to get the perfect bite.
Renee, I am so glad you've enjoyed this dish! 🙂 Here are my tips:
➡️ 1) Make sure that the shredded Parmesan cheese is at room temperature (not refrigerator cold). That means that you can shred it before you start cooking everything, or even earlier. Or, quickly heat shredded Parmesan cheese on a plate in the microwave (a few seconds) without melting it into a mess.
➡️ 2) It's also best to shred the cheese yourself from a block of cheese.
➡️ 3) When adding cheese to pasta, do it gradually and on very low heat, constantly stirring. Just let it melt gently around the pasta without trying to completely melt it or turn it into the sauce. Sort of, just reheat the cheese so that it softens around the pasta.
I made this last night because we had a package of Trader Joe’s prosciutto on hand and were craving pasta. I used orecchiette pasta and I have to say, that is an excellent choice for this dish because of how the “little ears” cradle the peas perfectly. I added a bit of cream as well. This was absolutely delicious and so simple! My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. This will be on repeat in this house!
Diana, your comment made my day - thank you! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love the idea of using orecchiette pasta - like you said - it fits so well with the peas!
I ate this last night because we had a package of Trader Joe’s prosciutto on hand and were craving pasta. I used orecchiette pasta and I have to say, that is an excellent choice for this dish because of how the “little ears” cradle the peas perfectly. I added a bit of cream as well. This was absolutely delicious and so simple! My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. This will be on repeat in this house!
And, I love the addition of a small amount of cream - sounds delish!
This was a really flavorful, simple meal. I added some lemon zest and fresh basil at the end and I really think it pulled it all together. I’ll definitely be adding this to my regular rotation.
Sarah, I am glad you found this recipe worth repeating! Love your additions of lemon zest and fresh basil!
Love this simple, but tasty recipe! I was so glad to find a quick and easy way to use up the leftover prosciutto I had on hand. I've made this twice since coming across your recipe a few weeks ago. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa, I am glad you found this recipe useful in using up your leftover prosciutto! Thank you for the comment and the 5-stars! 🙂
Great recipe!! Added the lemon zest and basil at the end too 🙂
Shelby, glad you loved the recipe! Love your delicious additions!
It was very tasty. We used GF pasta and it still was great. Easy and quick. 🙂
Brenda, I am glad the recipe was enjoyed, and thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
I thought this was delicious - but there’s no way 8oz of pasta is 4 servings in my family! I made a full 16oz box of pasta and that was barely enough for us.
Kate, I am glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback about the amount of pasta!
One of those rare recipes that's, easy, quick, delicious, and looks appetizing when served. Cold leftovers were great, too!
Kristi, this is one of the best comments I've ever read! Thank you! 🙂
Totally cool. I'm working on great tasting recipes for my son and this is definitely one.
Sandra, your comment made my day! 🙂 I am so flattered!
Awesome simple recipe. I used a full 12 oz box of gluten-free elbows, so a bit more pasta than called for, and I did utilize the pasta water for sauciness plus extra parm cuz that’s just what I like to do. The sweetness of the peas + the saltiness of the prosciutto is awesome. It only took about 20 minutes to make on the fly for a weeknight dinner. Love it.
Kait, thank you so much for such a kind comment! Glad you've enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Loved it. But I made a change. I buy C&W petite peas and there is no need to precook them. They were fine popped right into the pan with the hot pasta. Definitely use all of the pepper called for. Perfect. I used more water and it was nicely saucy.
Marianne, thank you for such helpful feedback! I am glad you've enjoyed this recipe and took the time to share this wonderful comment! 🙂