Bucatini with Green Peas and Pancetta

I recently tried this recipe from Cooking Light magazine and it was a hit.  Even my picky eater loved it, and if you knew how finicky my boy can be, you would know what a feat this is!  I didn't have wine on hand, so I substituted chicken broth and it turned out great, but I'd love to try it with the wine next time just to see how it changes the flavor.  I also didn't have shallots so I left those out as well.  Next time, I might switch out the bucatini for angel hair as it seemed just a tad heavy for this recipe, but that's just a personal preference.  

Enjoy!

Bucatini with Green Peas and Pancetta

From Cooking Light

Hands-on time: 30 min

Total time: 45 min

Use frozen, thawed green peas if fresh are unavailable.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pancetta (about 2 ounces)

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 1/4 cups shelled green peas (about 1 1/2 pounds unshelled)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 pound uncooked bucatini pasta

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add pancetta; cook for 10 minutes or until browned and crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove pancetta from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set pancetta aside. Add shallots; cook for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add peas and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add wine and thyme. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to boil; cook until liquid reduces to 2 tablespoons (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.

2. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain the pasta in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to pea mixture; toss well. Stir in reserved cooking liquid. Place about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving evenly with grated cheese and pancetta. Yield: 4 servings.