TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Farfalle ai Piselli e Prosciutto CottoFarfalle with Peas and Cooked Ham
A spring pasta from Emilia-Romagna. Sweet peas and salty ham mingle in a gentle butter-and-Parmigiano sauce. Fresh peas in season are ideal, and farfalle’s shape holds the peas and ham beautifully.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Farfalle320 g
- Green peas, fresh or frozen250 g
- Thick-cut cooked hamCut into 1 cm dice.120 g
- Unsalted butter60 g
- Heavy cream, at least 35% fat100 ml
- Parmigiano Reggiano70 g
- Small onionFinely chopped.1 piece
- Salt and black peppera little
Method
Dice the ham
- 1 Cut the prosciutto cotto into 1 cm dice.
Ready when
This step is complete once the ham is diced.
Chop the onion
- 1 Finely chop the onion.
Ready when
Continue once finely chopped.
Boil the peas
- 1 Boil the peas in salted water, 500 ml water with 1 tsp salt, for 2–3 minutes, then drain.
Ready when
The step is complete after boiling for 2–3 minutes and draining.
Sauté the onion
- 1 Melt 40 g butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion over low heat for 5–6 minutes.
Ready when
Continue when translucent and softened.
Sauté the ham
- 1 Add the prosciutto cotto and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Ready when
Continue after 2 minutes of sautéing.
Simmer the sauce
- 1 MeanwhileMeanwhile, start bringing a large pot of water to a boil, using 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Add the peas and 100 ml cream and simmer over medium-low heat for 3 minutes.
- 3 Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 3–4 grinds of black pepper, remembering the saltiness of the ham.
Ready when
This step is complete after 3 minutes of simmering and adjusting the seasoning.
Boil the pasta
- 1 Add the farfalle to the prepared boiling salted water and cook al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
- 2 Reserve 100 ml cooking water.
Ready when
Lift out once al dente.
Toss the pasta
- 1 Lift out the farfalle al dente and transfer to the frying pan.
- 2 Add the remaining 20 g butter and half the Parmigiano and toss quickly.
- 3 Adjust the sauce consistency with 2–3 tbsp pasta water.
Ready when
This step is complete when the sauce coats everything.
Finish with cheese and pepper
- 1 Plate and grate the remaining Parmigiano over the top.
- 2 Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
Ready when
The dish is ready once the cheese and pepper have been added.
About this dish
In Emilia-Romagna, spring moves from the season of flowering rapeseed greens to that of legumes. Peas can be harvested only for a short period in early summer, and farming families combined them straight from the garden with pasta.
Prosciutto cotto, cooked cured ham, corresponds to the ham familiar in Japan, but Italian versions retain pork’s natural sweetness. In a simple butter-and-Parmigiano sauce, the ham’s saltiness and the peas’ sweetness echo each other. During the limited April-to-June season for fresh peas, this dish frequently appears on Emilian family tables.
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