By J. Kenji López-Alt
Published Feb. 21, 2024
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- 4(418)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This recipe starts with a love of store-bought mac and cheese, amplified with frozen peas and diced ham. But then, it adds a few layers of flavor, increasing the peas, sautéing the cured pork and using a from-scratch garlicky Parmesan sauce inspired by classic pasta paglia e fieno (“straw and hay pasta,” so named because it’s typically made with a combination of plain and green fettuccine pastas that resembles fresh and dried grass). While pasta paglia e fieno typically uses reduced heavy cream as its sauce, this recipe keeps it a little lighter by decreasing the amount of cream and instead relying on eggs to give the sauce its clingy, glossy texture, like in a good carbonara. A finish of parsley and mint further lightens it.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2ounces grated Parmesan (about ¾ cup), plus more for the table
- 2whole large eggs
- ½cup heavy cream
- Salt and black pepper
- 1pound short, chunky dry pasta, such as rigatoni, cavatappi, bowties or elbow macaroni
- 1cup frozen peas
- 1teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
- 2 to 3ounces bacon or pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice (if you are using pre-sliced bacon, preferably thick-cut, cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces)
- 3scallions, thinly sliced, greens and white reserved separately
- 3medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- About 1 packed cup (total) fresh parsley and mint leaves, chopped
For the Sauce
For the Pasta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
790 calories; 30 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 648 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, and while you wait, make the sauce: Whisk together the grated cheese, eggs and cream in a large bowl and set aside.
Step
2
Add the pasta to the boiling water, give it a stir and let it cook until mostly done but still slightly chalky in the center, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Add the frozen peas and cook until defrosted, about 1 minute longer. Drain, reserving at least 2 cups of the starchy pasta water.
Step
3
While the pasta cooks, heat the oil and bacon or pancetta in a large straight-sided skillet or saucepan over medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon browns at the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the scallions whites, the garlic, a few generous grinds of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic and scallions are lightly softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat and, using a ladle, add ½ cup of the pasta water to the pan to halt cooking.
Step
4
When the pasta is cooked, add the drained pasta, peas and a half cup of the reserved pasta water to the bowl with the cream sauce. Stir with tongs to thoroughly combine, then transfer everything back to the skillet with the bacon, scallion whites, and garlic. Set over low heat and cook, stirring and tossing continuously, until the sauce thickens lightly and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. (If it looks too dry, add more reserved pasta water, stir and toss vigorously, bearing in mind that it will get drier once it hits the plate and starts to cool, so it should look a little too loose in the pan.)
Step
5
Stir in parsley, mint and scallion greens, keeping a handful of herbs for garnish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with reserved herbs and cheese, and serve immediately.
Ratings
4
out of 5
418
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Cooking Notes
Fred Chanania
For folks who don't eat bacon or other pork products, I find that canned tuna fish works just great to give the type of dish that salt and flavor zip. I suppose that fresh tuna, minced clams, or anchovies could also work, but haven't gone that route yet.
Didi from Durham
I like this wedding of simple pasta and peas (a Sicilian standard) and carbonara. I always sautee onion (and whatever, diced mushrooms, a few roma tomatoes?), then throw in the peas for a few minutes while the pasta cooks. No pancetta or bacon - just a simple veggie dish. Doesn't need the garlc, IMO, but do as you like. A little egg and cream - what's not to like? Plenty of pecorino, freshly ground pepper, and everything is wonderful.
Edith
This is essentially overcomplicated carbonara. When I make carbonara I use diced sun dried tomatoes. Don't saute them, just add them in the final stage. You can also use the SDT oil when you saute the other ingredients, for extra flavor.
Phil
I never knew there was such a thing as ham bouillon until I read this comment. You have just made my world a better place.
Tom
The preamble clearly states this recipe "starts with a love of store bought mac and cheese". I got that immediately. But a whole lot better. A little more involved that chucking chopped bacon into a box of pasta but the pay off was worth it. And very kid friendly. My 4 year old had helping after helping, "went to bed" got out of bed 40 minutes later saying, "I'm hungry." And had 2 more bowls before heading back to bed for the 5th and final time. I think. Love that kid.
Max Shapiro
TSP ham bouillon in the sauce instead of using the bacon grease for the scallions and garlic. A TSP of evo for the scallions and garlic. Thanks.
PF
This is such a weird hybrid recipe. No doubt it's tasty for some, but it's an alien, overly-complicated concept for an Italian.
JD
For a real taste sensation, substitute salami for bacon/pancetta. Cut salami in 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice and saute in a dry skillet until just slightly crispy. Remove and add to pasta when sauce is finished along with parsley.
PF
Yes! It's called tuna-noodle casserole.
Orion
An simpler variation is an invention of my wife. Mary Ann's Peas & Pasta begins by sauteing about half a small onion in some good olive oil. We prefer the onion thinly slivered and cooked until nicely caramelized. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper, then add a can of small/baby peas. Heat and enjoy as a tasty vegetable side, or cook up a few ounces of small shells, elbows, ditalini, or broken angel hair and add to the peas for a hearty vegan entree. Grated cheese is nice, too. Enjoy!
Diane
Better Than Bouillon Ham Base is the one I use.
Lori
This was really good, but 1 pound of pasta is WAY TOO MUCH. I ended up using only half the pasta. Using 1 pound of pasta would have resulted in having to double the eggs, cream, cheese, and pasta water. Also, it will increase the number of people it will feed to 8-10.
Lydia
I loved this!! Super easy and delicious. I added some lemon zest to give it some freshness and it brought it to the next level. (If my family sees this, don't mock me. I've never met a dish that wasn't improved by lemon zest.)
Lw
I didn't use egg and added a little arugula at the end and it was delicious
JennyNoel
kinda boring. The next night I added some pulled rotisserie chicken and a quick béchamel sauce and to the leftovers. It made it better.
S
I don’t know if it would work with this recipe, but my usual go-to sub for pancetta or ham is lox.
brigid
This was just OK. I think it would be better with pancetta. I had bacon and it didn’t add much to the dish.
Steve K in Maine
When do you stir in the eggs and cheese with the pasta? Step 4.5? Seems like Kenji left out that step in the directions.
SDS
Skip parsley and mint; they don’t add anything. Scallions are good, but would add green and white parts BOTH during the garlic sauté phase
S. Talarico
Startlingly good. Can’t wait for fresh peas in spring to do it again.
Newton02458
Sauce separated in pan. More instructions needed if this is so finicky.
Lori
This was really good, but 1 pound of pasta is WAY TOO MUCH. I ended up using only half the pasta. Using 1 pound of pasta would have resulted in having to double the eggs, cream, cheese, and pasta water. Also, it will increase the number of people it will feed to 8-10.
LJGenovese
I made half the recipe using chickpea pasta but it seemed like I should have made the full sauce recipe. It turned out a little bland. Also half the recipe was 4 servings for us.
Kristen
Found this recipe to sadly be very bland. It needed loads more salt and herbs. I added ground mustard powder for some extra flavor which helped a little bit.
Sharon
Relatively simple dish, tasty meal, but one pound of pasta is way too much for a serving of four. I think halving the amount would work better.
James
Wow, stop defining whether this is Italian or Not-Italian, Carbonara or Not-Carbonara - it's simply a good simple meal! No need to label it! We whipped this up on a busy week night in no time. Enjoy it for what it is!
Becca Lynn
I only changed 2 things. I used GF pasta and for herbs I used baby arugula. Very fresh market bacon made this delicious. My only complaint is the sauce didn't come together the way I would have liked. My instincts told me to add past and peas later but followed instructions. Regardless it was all eaten up.
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