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Creamy Pasta Piselli Prosciutto is a winning combination of flavors that includes peas, crispy prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and garlic in a creamy, white wine parmesan sauce. A delicious, crowd-pleasing meal!
Creamy Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto is a simple and relatively quick recipe to make, but has the soul of an impressive, restaurant-style dish, making it a great option for both weeknight and weekends or anytime that you’re craving something special and a little decadent.
For a few other weeknight pasta dish ideas, check out Scungilli Pasta Fra Diavolo, Bucatini all’ Amatriciana, Pasta with Broccoli, Vodka Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes, Pasta with Tuna Sauce, Pasta Sorrentina with Fresh Mozzarella and Shrimp Scampi Pasta.
Savory prosciutto (Italian cured ham) is crisped in the oven, then combined with pasta, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and garlic in a white wine and cream-based sauce with parmigiano cheese. It’s a symphony of both textures and flavors while being pretty darn cozy and comforting.
The crispy prosciutto topping is so fun and unique! (I use this same technique in paglia e fieno pasta, which is one of the most popular recipes here at Mangia With Michele.) While I recommend roasting it below, you can also successfully crisp up the delicious, salty cured Italian ham on the stovetop. All details in this Crispy Prosciutto recipe.)
Pasta Piselli Prosciutto is so simple but so special at the same time with amazing texture and flavor, not to mention the amazing aroma that will be wafting through your kitchen and have you salivating as the prosciutto roasts and the creamy sauce simmers away. Hope you and your family give it a try. Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
To make crispy prosciutto pasta with peas, we’ll need:
- Crispy Prosciutto: Salty and savory prosciutto is a signature ingredient in dish, complementing the sweetness of the peas perfectly! Slices of it are roasted until crispy, then both mixed in and crumbled over the finished dish in a porky crouton sort of way–so incredibly fun and delicious! (FYI, prosciutto cotto can also be used in a pinch, but I would suggest dicing it and sauteing along with the garlic.)
- Peas: The sweetness of the peas works really well here. I used frozen peas for convenience but by all means use fresh peas in season!
- Arugula: Contributes a peppery taste, nutrition, fiber and color to the recipe. If you’re not a fan of arugula’s flavor, baby spinach is a great alternative.
- Garlic: No explanation needed for this important aromatic. Use as much or as little as you like.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Along with the peas, these add sweetness and so much flavor the the dish! Drain them if stored in oil. (You can replace some or all of the butter with this oil fyi.)
- Dry white wine: Contributes to the earthiness and rounds out the other flavors with some acidity. A dry white wine, such as pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or chardonnay should be used. Do not use a sweet wine like a Moscato or Riesling.
- Butter: Used to sauté the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and again at the end to add richness and silkiness to the finished pasta. If you prefer to not use butter, you can substitute it with extra virgin olive oil.
- Heavy Cream: (fyi, “panna” in Italian”) The base for the creamy sauce, heavy cream is one of the signature ingredients in this recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese: The incredible depth of flavor and savoriness of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is just what the sauce needs to round out its flavors.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Nutmeg: These spices give a hint of warm spice to the finished dish. Go easy on the nutmeg, though! Nutmeg is a strong spice and a little goes a long way.
- Pasta: I used a short pasta here (penne rigate), and this recipe was really designed for a short, tubular pasta that can hold up to the creamy sauce. A few other options are ziti, rigatoni and paccheri. Fettuccine would also work well here.
Love peas? Here are a few more recipes to check out: Italian Pasta with Peas, Lemony Pasta with Peas and Ricotta, Calamari Potato and Peas and Tortellini alla Panna.
How to Make Pasta Piselli Prosciutto
- Gather all ingredients. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes, chop the garlic and thaw the peas. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Prepare the crispy prosciutto. Arrange prosciutto in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 350°F on until crispy. Once cooled, crumble into smaller pieces if roasted whole. Set aside at room temperature, uncovered.
- PRO TIP: You can also make the crispy prosciutto on the stovetop. (Click for details.)
- Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic has softened and browned a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour the wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until most of the alcohol taste has cooked off.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and black pepper to the pan. Cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Then, turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta, stirring frequently. Turn the sauce back on to medium-low heat and add the peas after the pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes. At this point, you can add some pasta water if necessary (if the sauce has thickened too much).
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well, allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture, about ½ cup at a time.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and quickly stir in the parmesan cheese and the remaining butter so that it emulsifies and becomes part of the sauce. Then, gently fold in the arugula and half the crispy prosciutto.
- Transfer to a serving platter and top with the remaining crispy prosciutto and serve immediately. You can also sprinkle with a bit more grated cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.
Check out my answer to “How Much Salt Should You Add to Pasta Water?” here, as featured in Appetito’s online Italian Food and Drink Magazine. (Hint: I also mention it in the recipe below.)
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you love this creamy prosciutto pasta, here are a few more recipes to try out:
- Busiate with Sicilian Pesto Trapanese
- Spaghetti with Fresh Basil Pesto
- Easy Lemony Pasta with Ricotta and Peas
- Pasta Crudaiola with Ricotta (No-Cook Sauce)
- Sicilian Pasta alla Norma with Roasted Eggplant
- Pesto Ricotta Pasta (No-Cook Sauce)
- Bucatini with Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant
- Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
- Easy Pasta with Crabmeat
Try serving Pasta Piselli Prosciutto with Sauteéd Broccoli Rabe, Escarole or a simple mixed green salad–all delicious pairings!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use pancetta or bacon in this recipe in place of the prosciutto. Note that each of these will contribute its own unique flavors to the final dish. Leftover diced ham will also work here.
(Check out my Crispy Prosciutto recipe for more information on the differences between prosciutto, pancetta, bacon and guanciale.)
For sure! If using fresh peas, I suggest adding them to the pan along with the heavy cream as they will need to cook a bit longer than frozen.
Hold leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in skillet with a splash of water over medium low heat until heated through.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few great suggestions for twists and additions to Pasta Piselli Prosciutto:
- Sauté the prosciutto: Instead of roasting the prosciutto into a crispy topping, add either diced or thinly sliced pieces of it to the pan along with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. The prosciutto flavor will still be prominent but with a very different texture.
- Ham: Leftover baked ham is a great pork alternative for the prosciutto in a pinch for this crispy prosciutto pasta. Just dice it and add it to the pan along with the garlic.
- Make Shiitake Mushroom “Bacon” instead of Crispy Prosciutto: If you want something crunchy but also want to stay away from pork, check out the shiitake “bacon” option in my Straw and Hay Pasta recipe. (In fact, even if you love prosciutto, you may want to try this–it is that good.)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil can definitely be used in place of butter.
- Cheese: Grana Padano a great substitute in place of the parmigiano, with Pecorino Romano cheese as a close second.
- Wine: Don’t want to use wine? Use a bit of broth or water to deglaze the pan and consider a splash of lemon juice at the end if the flavor seems a bit flat and needs some acid.
- Spinach is a great alternative if you prefer its milder taste to peppery arugula.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried Creamy Pasta Piselli Prosciutto, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Pasta Piselli Prosciutto (Creamy Penne with Prosciutto and Peas)
Equipment
- Cheese grater (optional)
- Large Skillet (or Dutch Oven)
- Spider (optional)
Ingredients
- 5-6 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto (See Notes.)
- 4 Tbsp butter, divided
- ½ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, drained of any oil (use more if you like!)
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 1¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2-3 cups frozen peas, thawed (12-16 ounces; see Notes.)
- 1 pound pasta + salt for pasta water (See Notes.)
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesan) cheese +more for top
- 1 handful baby arugula 2-3 ounces)
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.(Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Prepare the crispy prosciutto: Arrange rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Carefully arrange prosciutto slices or cut pieces in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast on middle rack until crispy (about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven). Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool, then crumble into smaller pieces if roasted whole. Set aside at room temperature, uncovered. (You can make this 2 to 3 hours in advance and hold it, uncovered, at room temperature.)5-6 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto
- Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic has softened and browned a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.½ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes,, 2 Tbsp chopped garlic, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Pour the wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until most of the alcohol taste has cooked off.¾ cup dry white wine
- Reduce the heat to medium and add heavy cream, salt, nutmeg and black pepper to the pan. Cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Then, turn off the heat.1¼ cup heavy cream, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Meanwhile, once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta, stirring frequently. Turn the sauce back on to medium-low heat and add the peas after the pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes. At this point, you can add some pasta water if necessary (if the sauce has thickened too much).2-3 cups frozen peas,
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.1 pound pasta
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well, allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture, about ½ cup at a time.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat and quickly stir in the parmesan cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter so that it emulsifies and becomes part of the sauce.½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesan) cheese
- Then, gently fold in the arugula and half the crispy prosciutto.1 handful baby arugula
- Transfer to a serving platter and top with the remaining crispy prosciutto and serve immediately. You can also sprinkle with a bit more grated cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The prosciutto can either be roasted in whole pieces or slices. If roasting them in whole pieces, just hand crush them after they have cooled. You can also use diced prosciutto and crisp it up in a pan if you would like.
- If the sun-dried tomatoes were packed in oil, you can use some of that oil in place of the butter if desired.
- I gave a range of amounts for the peas as some people like to have more elements in the pasta. Use more or less as desired.
- Also, if using fresh peas, I suggest adding them to the pan along with the cream as they will need to cook a bit longer than frozen.
- Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water for 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1½-2 Tbsp salt.
- The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- I used a short pasta here (penne rigate), and this recipe was really designed for a short, tubular pasta that can hold up to the creamy sauce. A few other options are ziti, rigatoni and paccheri. Fettuccine would also work well here.
- The butter is “mounted” on the finished pasta at the end for additional richness and silkiness.
- Hold leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in skillet with a splash of water over medium low heat until heated through.
Made this recipe for Superbowl Sunday and everyone loved it!