Pasta e Piselli - Pasta and Peas

I remember my mom saying that when she was a child, her mother prepared certain dishes on each day of the week, and Wednesday was the day for Pasta e Piselli. I don't have any pattern to my daily menus, although I admit it would make life so much easier!! I keep promising myself to try to be more organised but I cannot seem to shop with a list in hand! For a couple of years when I lived in Lakewood, NJ, I used to go grocery shopping with my friend Joyce. She was super organised! She had a list and coupons for many of the items on her list! I did coupon and shop with a list during those years because... with the money saved couponing Joyce and I would go out to lunch at Friendly's! I need incentive.. I always have!!

Pasta and peas is very easy to prepare and it's a good way to get kids to eat peas!

Ingredients for 1 portion (today I was alone for lunch!)


3 to 4 oz of pasta - the best choice would be small shells, but I used a mix of small pasta shapes.
1 cup frozen peas
1 small onion
a couple of sliced of left over baked ham, boiled ham or Canadian bacon
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste





Procedure
First, put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.

Coarsely chop the onion and ham.

Sauté the onion in a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

When the onion is translucent add the ham and cook together for a couple of minutes.

Add the frozen peas and some of the boiling water from the pasta pot. Check for seasoning. Depending on the type of ham you use, you may not have to add any salt. Do add some freshly ground pepper! I like pepper and use lots of it! Lower heat to simmer.

By now the water is boiling so salt it and put the pasta in to boil. (p.s. you may also use cooked rice in this recipe).

While the pasta is cooking, check the peas, ham and onions. By now most of the liquid should have evaporated. I like mine on the dry side, but if you like a more soupy sauce, you can simmer the peas, ham and onions with a lid on the pot to conserve the liquid.

When the pasta is done the way you like it, drain and add to the pan.

Toss to mix and add the grated cheese. Toss again and that's it! Serve piping hot!

and... as Julia Child would have said had she spoken Italian... BUON APPETITO!

A note on Pasta and Broccoli

Today we are having pasta and broccoli again.. one of our favs! 

I am not going to give you the recipe again here, but I thought I would give you some background on this delicious pasta dish that has its roots in Apulia. My recipe is one of many variations of this delicious pasta dish.

Like most traditional Italian pasta, orecchiettehave a long and varied tradition. Some trace this little ear shaped pasta to Provence in France saying that it probably arrived to the ports of Apulia on ships that carried the dried "orecchiette" in great quantities as provisions for the ship's crew. Others trace the roots of this pasta to Hebrew communities - where they were called "Haman's ears"  - in the Sannicandro territory of Bari under the Norman-Svevo dominion in the XII and XIII centuries. Whatever their origin, they are the delicious!

The ingredients for the classic Apulian recipe are cime di rapa - literally turnip tops - and they are just this. The leave and flowerettes of the Brassica rapa silvestris.

Orecchiette  (little ears) - a pasta made with white semolina flour, water and salt. Once a stiff dough is made, it is cut into small pieces then each piece is "strascinato" or dragged against the wood cutting board with the blade of a dull knife. The result is an ear-shaped noodle, hence it's name "orecchiette"

The original recipe also calls for garlic, lots of extra virgin Apulian olive oil, anchovies, hot red pepper and grated aged ricotta cheese (similar to sharp pecorino cheese).

So there you have it!

p.s. the photos are linked from wikipedia.