Crispy Pancetta Sweet Pea Orecchiette Pasta tossed with a creamy lemon herb Goat Cheese Sauce! This pasta recipe is comfort food to the max!
There are times when a good creamy pasta just hits the spot! Ya know.
Usually on one of those terrible horrible not so good very bad days … comfort food and wine is calling my name.
My comfort food of choice is pasta, I’m not so much a pizza or hamburger girl. Don’t get me wrong I’ll have those too! But given the choice, a big bowl of pasta does it for me every time!
Whenever I’m making a creamy pasta, obviously cheese of some sort is involved but I’ve learned that goat cheese and water can make a pretty darn creamy pasta and the flavor is outstanding!
No need to add butter, heavy cream and loads of cheese to have a comfort food dish! Just 4 oz. of goat cheese and 1 cup of water and your set!
The inspiration for todays Pancetta Sweet Pea Orecchiette Pasta came from my mom. Around Christmas time she made an amazing pasta dish with Orecchiette in it that she learned at Le Cordon Bleu. Ya’ll I seriously had her make it twice in like 4 days… its that good! I think part of the reason I liked it so much was the actual pasta – the Orecchiette!
Orecchiette, have you tried it before? They kinda look like small ears. Why is this important? Because that small bowl or dip in the pasta holds all the little bits of deliciousness. In this case, cubes of crispy pancetta, sweet peas, and a creamy goat cheese sauce.
I’ve actually been working on this recipe for a while, the first time I made it it was good but it tasted a little bland. The second time I added some fresh lemon juice and fresh thyme (from my garden :)) and wowza!
The thyme and lemon combination totally puts this pasta dish over the top!
Ps.. fun tip. Adding citrus to a dish will enhance the flavors! I usually add citrus (lemon, orange, or lime juice) before I add more salt – easy way to make the dish taste more bold in flavor.
This Pancetta Sweet Pea Orecchiette Pasta is perfect for a family weeknight meal because it takes less than 30 minutes to make but its also fancy enough to wow some guys on the weekend! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Bon Appetite!
Pancetta and Sweet Pea Orecchiette Pasta with Creamy Goat Cheese Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta, Kid-Friendly, Easy Dinner Recipes, Pork
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Crispy Pancetta Sweet Pea Orecchiette Pasta tossed with a creamy lemon herb Goat Cheese Sauce! This pasta recipe is comfort food to the max!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of orecchiette pasta
- 1 1/3 cup of frozen sweet peas
- 4 oz. of goat cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 oz. of cubed pancetta
- 1/2 cup of diced red onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup of cooking water from pasta
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet to medium high heat, add olive oil and pancetta. Saute until pancetta is slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from pan and place on a plate.
- Add onions to pan and slightly caramelize, about 5-7 minutes. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds, add in fresh thyme. Continue to cook for another minute. Set aside.
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil, add in orecchiette pasta and cook till al dente. (according to directions on package)
- Add in peas for the last 2 minutes of pasta cook time.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the rest of the pot.
- Add pasta and peas to a big bowl, along with caramelized onions, pancetta, goat cheese, lemon juice, and cooking liquid.
- Gently toss the pasta until the goat cheese is melted and completely combined.
- Serve.
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IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT#JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!
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