Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Peas

 This is a classic, easy to make weeknight dish. Simply slice up so good Prosciutto di Parma and shred some Gruyère or other good, melty cheese, toss in some cream and peas and you have a great dinner. This recipe was originally from Cook's Illustrated and can easily be a staple in your dinner rotation.

Substitutions: In this recipe I prefer imported Prosciutto di Parma but you can use Volpi Traditional Prosciutto or any good dried age ham, like Spanish Jamón de Iberico. If using sliced-to-order prosciutto, ask the deli counter to slice it 1/16 inch thick. Look for a hard Gruyère cheese that is aged for at least 10 months. You could substitute with a strongly flavored Swiss like Emmental, or purchase Jarlsberg or  Beaufortthe. Use a rasp-style grater or the small holes of box grater to grate the cheese. Tagliatelle is a long, flat, dry egg pasta that is about 1/4 inch wide. If you cannot find tagliatelle, substitute pappardelle.

Ingredients
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced

     substitute 1/2 small onion
Salt and pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound tagliatelle
1 ½ cups frozen petite peas, thawed
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1 ounce Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Instructions

Slice 5 ounces prosciutto crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips; set aside. Finely chop the remaining ounce of prosciutto. 

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce in the next step.

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallot/onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream and minced prosciutto and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cream mixture measures about one cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

Add 1 cup reserved cooking water, cream mixture, prosciutto strips, peas, Parmesan, Gruyère, and 1 teaspoon pepper to pasta. Gently toss until pasta is well coated. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Serve immediately.