Penne Vodka with 3 P's - Prosciutto, Pancetta, and Peas

Recently, Chuck and I booked a session with a professional photographer to get some photos taken of Abbie. It was a brisk fall day and we met the photographer at a local park to take some shots. It was late afternoon, the leaves were changing, the air was crisp, and Abbie was smiling up a storm. We came home and I wanted to make something hearty and delicious for dinner -this dish certainly delivered! With just a little bit of time spent on the sauce, this resulted in a flavorful pasta chock full of crispy pancetta and prosciutto. I served this with caprese salad and some nice red wine for the end to a perfect fall day.

Note: I printed this recipe out way before I started blogging so unfortunately I don't have any citation. If this is yours, please leave a link to your post in the comments and I will link to you within the post.

Penne Vodka with 3 P's
slightly adapted from unknown source
Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound penne pasta
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 pound pancetta, sliced 1/4" thick, diced
1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced 1/4" thick, diced
1 large (28-32 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup green peas
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the garlic, pancetta, and prosciutto. Cook, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes.

Either pour tomatoes with their juices into a food processor and pulse several times to chop them or simply pour into a large bowl and break them up with your hands. Add to the saute pan with the meat. Season with salt and red pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Lower the heat and add the vodka carefully. Turn heat back up and bring sauce to a boil; then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the peas after about 5 minutes.

Slowly stir in the cream, then add the pasta to the sauce. Gently toss to coat the pasta. Add the cheese and top with parsley. Serve immediately.