Prosciutto Pasta with Peas and Parmesan Cheese – simple and quick recipe, only 30 minutes from start to finish. Delicious and very Italian!
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 1/4 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 antipasto, alongside tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese, or Burrata cheese, or with 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.
If you enjoyed this pasta with peas, you might like these pasta recipes that use peas, too:
Spicy Garlic Chicken Penne with Peas
Spicy Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Simple pasta recipe made in 30 minutes: Prosciutto Pasta with Peas and Parmesan Cheese.
- 8 oz pasta penne
- 1 cup green peas frozen
- 3 oz prosciutto
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ground or freshly cracked
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded
- 1/8 teaspoon salt to taste
-
Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. During 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 1/2 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 3/4 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 1/4 cup) - but you might not need to.
-
Season with salt, if needed. Serve immediately, topped with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Delicious! At home we now call it the 4P-Pasta: Penne, Prosciutto, Peas and Parmesan pasta
I made this recipe for me and my partner who doesn’t usually eat much but she ate 3 portions and asked me to send the recipe to her mother in Germany,
Easy but excellent thank you .
I made this for dinner tonight….It was a hit! Super easy & delicious! Thank you!
Delicious! No, you don’t need cream at all. It will not be missed. We have renamed this dish as our Christmas Eve pasta. Be careful not to overheat the delicate shards of prosciutto.
Jill, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂