Carbo-Loading (1 of 2): Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that I absolutely loved my subscription to Gourmet and was devastated when they were shut down.  Well, as a consolation prize, they graciously offered to fulfill the rest of my subscription with Bon Appetit.  BA isn't my favorite cooking magazine.  Their issues don't contain as nearly as many recipes as G had and their food photography wasn't nearly as drool-inducing.  I mean, their food photos look plastic and unreal.  I loved that I could look at a photo of a steak on the cover of G and could actually taste it in my mouth.  With BA, it's just not the same.  Anyway, I finally got my new issue last month.  I found a recipe that caught my eye.  Marshall and I competed in a triathlon on May 2nd (it was my very first) and we needed to find something good to eat the week leading up to the event.  I figured we needed to carbo-load and this was a good start:  Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta.

What struck me most about this recipe is that it reminded me of a risotto dish Marshall and I made a couple of years ago.  It was a recipe from Ellie Krieger and it was a Primavera Risotto with asparagus and peas.  Obviously, since both recipes share ingredients they had similar flavors.  Of course, the big difference, and the one ingredient that really brought the flavor, was the pancetta.  I love pancetta.  My mom uses it as a base for her spaghetti sauce sometimes.  It's like bacon, but 100x's more flavorful.  Honestly, this pasta dish needed more.  I did enjoy the flavors of the cheese and the asparagus. I know that if I used fresh peas, they would've packed a better flavor, but frozen were the best I could find.  Overall, it was a very refreshing pasta dish, which is hard to achieve with pasta.  Honestly, I normally don't like fettuccine, because it ends up being way too heavy for me, but in this dish it really worked.  I also loved how everything looked in the serving bowl.  We definitely eat with our eyes and no matter what anyone says, how food looks on the plate is part of our overall enjoyment of the meal.

I'm not saying that this recipe has won me over for BA.  I actually am uncertain about how much more of a subscription I have left.  I highly doubt I'll see many more issues.  Fortunately, though, this means I'll have room for my new favorite:  Cook's Illustrated!


Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus, and Pancetta
Serves 4-6

12 ounces Fettuccine or Penne
3 ounces Pancetta or Bacon, chopped
1-1/4 pounds Asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 Cups Peas, shelled (or frozen - do not thaw)
1 Bunch Green Onions, thinly sliced with white and pale green pieces separated from dark green pieces
2 Garlic Cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated (plus more for serving)
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
3 Tbs. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tbs. Lemon Zest, finely grated

1/4 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, thinly sliced and divided

1.  Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender, but still firm to bite.  Drain, while reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.  Return pasta to the pot.
2.  Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat, until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to train.  Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of drippings from the skillet.  Add asparagus to skillet and sauté for 3 minutes.  Add peas, white and pale green onion pieces, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.
3.  Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, dark green pieces of green onion, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, half of the parsley and half of the basil. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls, if needed.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a large bowl.
4.  Sprinkle with pancetta, remaining parsley and basil.

bon appetit!

Recipe credit:  Bon Appetit, May 2010.