Buttery orecchiette with crispy pancetta and peas – Say hello to your new addition to a fast-but-delicious recipe rotation. It sounds like a cliché, because it is, but this recipe adds far more than the sum of its parts. Orecchiette, crispy pancetta bits, the fresh sweet pop of peas and a butter sauce jazzed up with Parmesan. This dish is easy to make on a weeknight when you’re pressed for time, but fancy enough to brighten up your next dinner party when you host friends for dinner. The crunchy breadcrumbs steal the show to make everyday pasta and frozen peas feel super special. Crisp bites of pancetta add a salty twist and perfectly cut through the sweetness of the peas, making it simply delicious.
This recipe teaches you the magic of everyday fast and fancy weeknight dinners. It’s impressive, full of hidden flavors and feels a little more special than a standard weeknight meal, yet it’s quick and easy enough to pull together any night of the week. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for busy days when you have just a little time to shop, because this dish turns what could have easily been a standard pasta into something crave-worthy week in and week out.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
RECIPE NOTES
- swap peas for spinach or blanched broccoli
- use your favorite pasta shape
- swap pancetta for salted bacon
- serve with a big side salad
More pasta, please!
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- Brown Butter Broccoli and Walnut Past
- Pasta with sun-dried tomato ricotta pesto
Cooking Video
Calories Per Serving: 680 kcalButtery Orecchiette with Crispy Pancetta and Peas
Ingredients
Bread Crumbs
Instructions
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE RECIPE PDF
Great recipe with versatility! I was slightly short on peas so I added some corn as well (both frozen), and used cubed prosciutto instead as that was what I had on hand; it would probably be nice with chorizo as well (leaving out or decreasing the red pepper flakes).The bread crumbs add a nice texture and make it look fancy; I made my own from leftover sourdough as I didn’t have panko on hand. The spice level was perfect for two adults but if you don’t like spice or are serving kiddos, perhaps leave it out or use half.
Yay! Love hearing this! I am really glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for giving it a try!
We really enjoyed this dish. My wife went back for seconds and she hardly ever does that. I left out the red flake and doubled the recipe. I will be making this again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Robert, I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!