Penne with Sugar Snaps and Ham

Monday 24 June

This recipe is a variation on a Saffi, attributed by someone on Teh Intertubes to James Beard (as "a pleasant pasta"). 

8 ounces pasta

8 ounces sugar snap peas (or snow peas)

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup finely cut prosciutto or good-quality ham (we used Schad's)

⅓ cup cream

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste (we used white pepper)

Freshly grated Romano cheese

The recipe said to cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, according the package instructions (duh...), to add the peas during the last minute or two of cooking, and to drain when the pasta is done.  This was a terrible idea, as some of the peas were tender, and some were not.  They need to be boiled first, then scooped out and drained.  And if they're sugar snaps, you'd better be sure and string them.

In our usual sensible fashion, we melted the butter in a separate pan, added the cream to boil and thicken, then put in salt, white pepper, and some grated cheese.  The hot pasta (and peas) then got tossed in, with more cheese left over to grate on top.

Pretty good, with the caveats above.