Wagon Wheel Pasta with Pancetta and Peas

By traciesparks

Very excellent and very tasty. I have been trying out recipes for an upcoming picnic that travel well and have flavor and can be eaten chilled or at room temperature. This one is the winner. Tasted even better when chilled. I didn't use all the olive oil either and added a touch of black pepper at the end after the final tasting. Not a wagon wheel or bite leftover...the pasta dish was licked clean. Thanks Giada!

Very delicious, but the pancetta and Parmesan combo makes it quite salty, even with the veggies and mint added in. I don't think you need as much salt as she uses in the demo of this recipe on her show.

Ingredients

• 1 pound wagon wheel-shaped pasta (rotelle)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• 8 ounces pancetta, finely diced
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) sugar snap peas, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) shelled edamame peas
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Details

Preparation time 12mins
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the snap peas and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the pasta, cooked pancetta, edamame peas, petite peas, Parmesan, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and mint leaves. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen the sauce. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.