Pasta with Peas, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto
Sometimes you want a dish that is quick, packed with flavor and even better— made in one pot— the pot that the pasta was cooked in. Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese variety that’s brimming with lovely flavor— for this recipe be sure to get Gorgonzola Dolce, which is smoother and creamier than regular Gorgonzola and melts beautifully. With the addition of the pasta’s cooking water, the cheese becomes a silky decadent sauce just by the heat of the just-cooked pasta. The freshness of peas and spinach combined with salty prosciutto and a bright hit of lemon zest round out the mix. A few ingredients, big flavor and quite a crowd pleaser— perfect for lunch or dinner with a salad and a glass of vino.
A note on the pasta shape: I’m using Cascatelli, which is a new pasta shape created by James Beard Award winner Dan Cashman, creator and host of The Sporkful food podcast in collaboration with the artisans at Sfoglini. It’s available online at sporkful.com— but of course any short dry pasta will be great with this recipe.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
16 oz short dry pasta such as cascatelli, gemelli or fusilli
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz Gorgonzola Dolce, cut into large pieces
3 tbsp parmesan
4 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced, torn into large pieces
1 cup peas, defrosted
2 cups baby spinach, packed
¼ tsp chili flakes
2 tsp lemon zest, plus more for finishing
Kosher salt and black pepper
METHOD
Cook pasta according to package instructions in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of cooking water.
Return pasta to pot. Add olive oil, Gorgonzola Dolce, parmesan and pasta water and toss until cheese is melted and pasta is coated in a silky sauce. Stir in spinach, peas, chili flake and lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Fold in prosciutto— add a few pieces at a time as prosciutto tends to stick together.
Transfer to a serving platter, finish with lemon zest and serve immediately.