Peas and Pancetta Pasta

This is one of my favorite pantry pastas and is one that is super nostalgic for me, as my dad made it at least once a week growing up.Somehow when I make it it's never quite as good as dad's (why is that always the case?) but it is still a real crowdpleaser and is super quick to come together. Peas and pancetta are a delicious pairing (trust me on this one) and despite the dish being really simple, it is super flavorful.Couple of notes:

• If you don't have pancetta, don't worry - you can use bacon, or even salami or prosciutto. If you end up using a thinly sliced deli meat like salami or prosciutto, you'll end up needing to add a little more olive oil to the pan since they have less fat.
• Don't forget to salt your pasta water! Because the pasta water forms the basis of your sauce, you want it to be nice and flavorful.

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Peas and Pancetta Pasta

Serves 2:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pasta (any kind)
• Salt
• 1 ½ cups frozen peas
• ¼ cup bread crumbs 
• Olive oil
• 4 oz pancetta cut into ½ inch dice (can also use bacon, salami or prosciutto if you don’t have pancetta)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup cup parmesan, divided

Method

• Bring a pot of heavily salted water to boil and cook pasta until just under al dente - this is usually about 7 minutes, but check your particular pasta brand. It will finish cooking in the pan with the rest of the ingredients so you want it to still have some bite.t
• Defrost frozen peas - I like to cover just barely with water, and then microwave for 2 minutes
• In a small saute pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil, bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until bread crumbs are toasted and lightly browned. Set aside.
• In a large saute pan (you’ll toss the pasta in there later so you want it big enough to hold everything), render pancetta over medium heat until it's browned and slightly crispy. Remove from heat (saving the fat) and set aside. In the same pan, add onions, a big pinch of salt and red pepper flakes and saute over medium heat until onions have softened and become slightly translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add more olive oil as needed. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. 
• Add pasta, ½ cup pasta water, peas, pancetta and most of the parmesan (save about 1 tbsp) to the pan with onions and garlic and toss until all the pasta water has absorbed. Divide pasta among bowls and top with breadcrumbs and remaining parmesan.