4 “P” Pasta

This super satisfying pasta dish comes together quickly if you’ve got Kirsty’s Pesto (or other pesto of choice on hand). Easily adapts to vegetarian or pescatarian diet by omitting pancetta and/or adding shrimp or sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil in its place.

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5 from 2 votes

Kirsty's "4P" Pasta

An easy and delicious pasta dish made with Kirsty's Pesto, pancetta, peas, and Parmesan.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Californian, Italian

Keyword: easy peasy, pancetta, parmesan, pasta, pesto

Servings: 4

Author: Kirsten Getchell

Equipment

• big pot
• strainer
• pan

Ingredients

• 6-8 tbsp Kirsty's Pesto (or other pesto of choice)
• 8 oz pasta of choice see package instructions to figure 4 servings
• 4 oz diced pancetta chopped bacon also works
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, or fresh peas large English peas are best
• 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

• Either make Kirsty's Pesto or have other pesto of choice ready to use.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a few large pinches of salt, and cook your pasta according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat a large pan on the oven over medium-low heat.
• Add pancetta and cook through, until it is nicely browned.
• Add the peas to the pan and stir a few times, until they are heated through. Turn off the burner.
• Drain your pasta well, shaking to remove as much excess water as you can.
• Stir a little olive oil into the pasta, and either serve in four bowls, or put in one large serving bowl.
• Pour the pancetta and peas on top. Spoon the pesto on top of that. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, or let individuals stir pesto into their own bowls at the table.
• Serve with fresh grated Parmesan, freshly ground pepper, and a garnish of freshly chopped parsley on top.

Notes

This dish comes together quickly if you've got Kirsty's Pesto or other pesto of choice on hand. It's easy to make vegetarian by simply omitting the pancetta, and also is wonderful with shrimp instead of pancetta. Simply saute the peeled shrimp for a 2-3 minutes in a little olive oil until opaque, add the peas, and continue the recipe instructions.

You could mix the pasta into the pan with the other ingredients, but I find the pesto turns dark greenish brown in color,  and I prefer to keep it bright green. I add the pesto on top then incorporate if in a big serving bowl, or on top of each individuals serving so they can stir it in themselves. I bring any extra pesto to the table, so there's more if anyone wants more - and they usually do.