Sunday was for sauce. But somewhere between Sunday’s meal and the next weekend, there was always another pot of pasta on the stove.
Growing up in Italian American communities, I knew midweek pasta was often something quick and simple: garlic and oil, perhaps, or tortellini with peas and cream. These were the dinners that fit into an ordinary evening, made with familiar ingredients and without much fuss.
Cheese tortellini with peas feels especially Italian American in my memory. So many households seemed to have their own version. Some made it with pancetta; others with prosciutto or guanciale, and often there was no meat at all. The dish changed a little from kitchen to kitchen, depending on who was cooking and what was in the refrigerator. In our house, Pecorino was always the cheese of choice.
For this week’s Pasta Wednesday with Appetito magazine, I’m making my version with fresh cheese tortellini from Piccola Pasta Shop, pancetta, shallot, peas and cream.
That combination is what makes this dish so satisfying: salty pancetta, sweet peas and tender cheese-filled pasta, brought together by cream and a generous amount of black pepper. Grated Pecorino stirred in off the heat gives the sauce the sharpness I remember and love.
Even now, this is the kind of dinner I want during a busy week. It comes together quickly, feels generous on the plate and brings me straight back to those familiar family meals. Sunday sauce had its place, but so did the pasta we made in between. This is one I’m always happy to return to.
Cheese Tortellini with Pancetta and Peas
4
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1 lb. 1 fresh cheese tortellini
Extra virgin olive oil, a small drizzle
4 oz. 4 diced pancetta (approximately ½–¾ cup)
1 1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup 1 peas, fresh or frozen
2 cups 2 heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Pecorino, to taste
Directions
- Warm a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the pancetta and cook until the fat renders and the pieces are nicely browned.
- Stir in the shallot and cook until softened.
- Add the cream and peas, season lightly with sea salt and generously with black pepper, and gently simmer until the peas are tender and the cream begins to thicken.
- Meanwhile, cook the tortellini in sea-salted water until just shy of done.
- Reserve a little pasta water, then transfer the tortellini to the skillet.
- Finish cooking gently in the cream, tossing until the sauce coats the pasta.
- Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
- Remove from the heat and stir in grated Pecorino to taste.
- Serve immediately.
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