Ziti with Mushrooms, Pancetta & Peas

Submitted by P48422

"A quick, satisfying weeknight pasta dish."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 2

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup finely diced pancetta or 1/4 cup smoked bacon
• 1⁄4 cup finely diced onion
• 8 ounces thickly sliced mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄4 cup madeira wine or 1/4 cup marsala
• 1⁄3 cup chicken stock or 1/3 cup vegetable stock (low or no-salt, please)
• 1⁄2 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces dried ziti pasta, cooked and drained
• 1⁄2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

directions

1. You will need a deep saute pan that can hold the sauce, and the pasta.
2. Have all your ingredients ready to go before beginning to cook.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta and onions until the onions are softened.
4. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
5. When the mushrooms have cooked for about 2 minutes, add the thyme and toss.
6. Let cook another minute, then add the Marsala to the pan and toss with the other ingredients.
7. Let reduce about half (about 2-3 minutes), then add the chicken stock.
8. Toss and let this reduce about half (about 2 to 3 minutes).
9. Add the peas, toss, then the cream, then let this mixture reduce slightly.
10. Taste, adjust for pepper and salt.
11. Add the pasta and 1/2 of the cheese to the pan and toss to combine everything thoroughly.
12. Serve with the remaining cheese.

Reviews

[Alexsa O.]

This was so good! I substituted the half and half for Coconut Milk to make this dairy free. I also added Spinach and used diced prosciutto.

 

[kadiprimo]

Very good flavor, but I wish there were more sauce. Next time will double. Par-cook the pasta and finish in the sauce so it soaks up some of the flavor. Also agree with another reviewer that garlic would be welcome in this dish.

 

[lolablitz]

Great recipe! I made a few adjustments and am including them so I can repeat this wonderful dish. I doubled the pancetta, mushrooms, Madeira and chicken stock (because we like it a little saucier), and peas. I also added a little more pasta to use up the cellantini and rotini we had leftover. A note about the pasta - the rotini is kind of "soft" for this dish but the cellantini is outstanding in texture. To save time, I boiled the water and pasta while making the sauce and it worked great. The mushrooms were a little too many for the dish and hard to cook down even in the larger pan, so next time I'll use the 8oz recommended. The pancetta is great, but as another reviewer suggested, expensive - I think bacon would work as well and be more economical. I used a sweet vidalia onion, but next time I think I'll use a sharper yellow and increase to 1/2 cup. I might also throw in several cloves of garlic next time. I added a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in the cream in step 9 and highly recommend it if you like your sauce a little thicker. Hubby and 22 month old loved it, thanks for the keeper!

 

[Lori Mama]

Nice and easy recipe. I used pancetta, brown mushrooms and sweet peas. I do not cook with cream, so subbed it with half/half and used dried thyme. Delicious. :)

 

[mkghormley]

Better than anything you can get in an Italian restaurant chain!