Sourdough Penne with Asparagus and Peas
Recipe by Dena Fenza. This delicious springtime pasta is a great dish for any night of the week. Bionaturae Sourdough Penne goes perfectly with the freshness of the peas and asparagus. When shopping for pancetta, be sure to buy a thick cut and cube it yourself. A quick trick is to put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes before cutting it. This will make it easier to cube up.
- Ingredients
- 4 oz. pancetta, cut into tiny cubes
- 2 tablespoons Bionaturae Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 onion (6 oz), chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- 10 oz. peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 bunch (1 lb.) asparagus, bottoms removed, sliced down the middle & chopped
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
- 1 lb. Bionaturae Sourdough Penne or Fusilli
- Instructions
- Boil a pot of heavily salted pasta water.
- Add pancetta to a cool pan and turn on the heat. Sauté until crisp and then remove from the pan. Be sure to leave the drippings in the pan.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat slightly then add in the onions and red pepper flakes. Sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Next, add the asparagus and peas and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook on low for about 10 minutes and add the fresh lemon juice.
- In the meantime, boil the pasta. When the pasta is almost cooked, reserve some of the pasta water.
- Put the grated Pecorino in a bowl. Mixing with a fork as you go, slowly add 7 tablespoons of the pasta water. This will look like a paste.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the peas and asparagus.
- Add in a little pasta water and stir.
- Next, add in the Pecorino “paste” and quickly combine. This will create a “cream-like” sauce. Serve immediately topped with the crispy pancetta.
Serves 4