Rating: 💋 💋 💋
Hi! I am currently experiencing Symptom Day of Pfizer Covid Vaccine 2, so I may not exactly be feeling like an exclamation point right now. I appreciate you readers though, so I will throw that energy your way. Besides - as much as I cleared my calendar so I could lay in bed and stare at the wall today, if needed, based off the experiences of my friends and family - getting the vaccine is so worth it. I will gladly give away my April 28th, 2021 if it means that I can run around the city and see friends and book gigs and go on dates and whatever else one does when a pandemic has not taken over the world. One sick day for a life of normality? Pretty sweet deal.
That being said, my mind is on comforting things. Bunnies frolicking through fields. Soft blankets. Warm (non Covid-era) hugs. And did somebody say...pasta?
Check yes, I am in.
Dora Marzovilla's Pasta with Pancetta & Peas
Serves: 4 Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb uncooked fettuccine or pappardelle pasta
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- 1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 (4-oz) package diced pancetta
- 1 (16-oz) package frozen peas, partially thawed
- 2 1/2 tsps kosher salt
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
Preparation:
- Cook pasta according to package al dente directions, about 11 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and pancetta, stirring often for about 8-10 minutes until the onion is softened. Add peas, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. Stir occasionally and cook for about 3 minutes, until the peas are tender.
- Pour drained pasta into the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients and fold in to combine. Add the pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and serve hot.
Doesn't this dish just look like spring to you? This pasta is light with a refreshing flavor that is perfect for the warmer months, and it comes together in a snap! This way, you do not have to spend too much time in a hot kitchen on a hot day. I love the light sauce with the springy peas.
I would warn, do not add more peas than the recipes calls for. They will hide in the nooks and crannies of the fettuccine and you will start to feel like there is a never-ending supply. As you pull the pasta up, the peas fall down, and suddenly you have a plate of little green legumes staring up at you. M-mm. It is not cute. This can be avoided if you stick to the sixteen ounces. If your bag is larger, do not pour the whole bag in.
That being said, I did love the flavor of the peas with this dish. You definitely want to make sure the pancetta gets nice and crispy when it is cooking with the onion, because that provides a nice contrast to the pea texture and avoids giving you a plate of gummy ham. My parents wanted to nix the fettuccine altogether because the other ingredients were getting lost in it, but I love fettuccine so much. You just have to make sure the proportions are correct. I also think serving this dish in a bowl will make it easier to eat. It is definitely not my number one pasta recipe, but I would be sad if I never got to eat it again.
Or if I had to eat it with penne. Penne gets way to much airtime. Let pappardelle and fettuccine have their moment already! They are the dark horses of my heart.
And I am vaccinated! Woohoo! I hope if you are reading this you are as well, or are somewhere along in the process. I see the finish line, you guys, I see it, and that makes me so happy! I hope it is not a mirage. I hope we are well on our way.
I loved the vaccination experience, honestly. I went to the Atlantic City Convention Center and the U.S. military had the system down pat. They were cranking out vaccinations in the most organized, sterile fashion, plus everybody was so nice. And they were blasting Rihanna. I love that. I had a great time in line with Queen Riri singing me to vaccination station. It really did not hurt. I did not look because seeing things stick in and out of skin freaks me out, but it was fine. I was chatting with the solider while the nurse gave me my dose and then bing-bang-boom, I went to the little observation site and fifteen minutes later I was a free woman. I did not walk out of that vax site, I strutted. It was really a beautiful moment. It is such a relief to me every time I hear someone has gotten through their vaccinations and I am so excited to join the team!
I hope you are all staying healthy and hopeful and enjoying these spring days. What a perfect time for a fresh start.
XX,
MK
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