As Long As It's Southern: Dinner Tonight: Pasta Fresca with Proscuitto, Peas and Tomatoes

I just adore Pinterest. It's inspiration and ideas in cute little squares.

Pinterest also makes me hungry. Really hungry.

And aren't all the pretty pictures of food just delightful? They beckon me to click them and answer the perennial question, "What's for dinner?"

Well, tonight was no exception, I tried another Pinterest recipe that Val SoCal pinned. The recipe links back to this blog: Taste For Adventure.

Last time, the Pinterest recipe was a huge hit and round two was brilliant likewise.

Pasta Fresca with Proscuitto, Peas and Tomatoes

What You'll Need:

(9 oz.) Fresh Pasta (Toscano and Sons in West Atlanta is a great place to get it)
(3 oz.) Proscuitto thinly sliced
(1 cup) Cherry Tomatoes

(4 tablespoons) Good Olive Oil (love love Bella Cucina)
(one medium) Shallot
(3 cloves) Garlic
(1/4 cup) Mint
(1 pinch each) Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated, for topping, if desired)

The Steps You'll Take, All Six of Them:

(Prep: Chop the shallot, garlic cloves, mint, cherry tomatoes and proscuitto.)

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped shallot. Toss those around until they brown, about three minutes. Add the garlic and allow that to develop, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sliced proscuitto and sauté until it starts to crisp, 2 minutes.
4. Add peas and tomatoes, and sauté until the peas brighten up. Season with salt and pepper.

Step by Step

5. Cook pasta until al dente. Keep about a 1/2 cup of pasta water on the side. Drain pasta and transfer it to the skillet.
6. Toss it all around to coat. Add the reserved pasta water. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Toss to coat. Serve with the chopped mint garnish.

There it is, y'all!

On the Side:

We paired a light salad with our entree: Arugula, shaved parmigiano-reggiano and a lemon pepper vinaigrette I made from scratch. It was a perfect compliment to the pasta.