The prosciutto of course, is not to be ignored. Though technically a ham it is nothing like American ham. American ham and prosciutto are really not the same. Prosciutto is specifically a dense salt cold dry cured pork hind leg . American deli ham is a boiled ham and has a moist spongy texture and sometimes a chemical after taste. Smoked American hams of high quality can be very good but do not have the same flavor as a good prosciutto. Country hams here in the states are cold cured and they are the closest thing to prosciutto. The process for Country hams is very different from the cold cure process of Italian prosciutto and so the flavor is not at all the same. Good but not the same. Do not reach for the American ham as a substitute. The smooth flavor of the prosciutto complements the peas without over powering them. The flavor you want is peas with prosciutto not ham flavored peas!
Now for the pasta. Somewhere near you (or not so near but worth the drive ) there must be a place to get your hands on some fresh pasta. Here in Fort Lauderdale is wonderful shop called Mimi's Ravioli that has all kinds of fresh pasta http://www.mimisravioli.com/index.htm. Of course you can always make your own. The whole wheat linguine works well with dish. The slight nutty taste of the pasta adds another level of flavor that makes the dish even more interesting to the pallet!
Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto
3 cloves of garlic (more to taste)
1lb fresh peas removed from pods (substitute approximately 1 cup frozen peas)
7 ounces prosciutto 1/4 inch dice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 fresh basil leaves chopped
4 sprigs of fresh parsley ( remove leaves and chop)
½ cup Toasted pine nuts
3/4 lb fresh pasta; whole wheat linguine*
Olive oil
1//2 cup Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
½ cup Asiago cheese
Pour a half cup olive oil in a large sauté pan. Heat oil to medium low. Cook the garlic until soft add the peas and prosciutto . Cook until peas are soft but still bright green about 15 minutes ( do not over cook). Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove pan from heat so you don’t overcook the fresh peas but keep warm.
Mix in the basil, parsley and pine nuts into the peas and prosciutto .
Cook the pasta until al dente. Fresh pasta cooks very fast so be careful not to over cook it. Save the water the pasta cooked in. Put the drained pasta into the pan with the peas and add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and a 1/4 cup more olive oil. Toss to coat the pasta.
Put a serving of pasta into each plate or bowl and top with cheeses
serves 4
*You may also choose a pasta (like rigatoni or shells) that can nestle the peas and sauce so each bite will have all the flavors of the dish.