Linguine with Peas, Ham & Parmesan

Linguine with peas, ham & Parmesan

Pasta doesn’t have to have a lot of tomato toppings. Spring time is a good time to try out fresh vegetables from the garden, This dish is similar to Pasta Primavera (Spring Pasta) that uses only vegetables but the addition of ham gives it a little added flavor.

Serves 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
2 salad or spring onions finely chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 cup frozen baby peas
½ cup thinly sliced ham chopped into pieces
10 oz dry linguine (or spaghetti or other pasta)
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the linguine until al dente. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions until soft. Discard the garlic. Add the peas and a dash of water. After a couple of minutes, stir in the ham. (Prosciutto is the traditional ham for this dish but other ham works well.) Drain the pasta and toss the pasta into the pan with the peas, onions and ham until the oil/butter coats the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Use the rest of the Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top when you serve it or let everyone add their own cheese to their serving.

Optional: add 1/2 cup of half & half or cream with the cheese to make a richer sauce. Do not let it boil but simmer for a few minutes.

(In the picture: I used spaghetti instead of linguine and added some spinach or Swiss chard fresh from the garden. The bowl was handmade by my son Gian.)