Crispy prosciutto takes this hearty Parmesan cream pasta to the next level
This pasta is packed with lots of ingredients, but they come together to sing in perfect harmony
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When I was growing up, pasta meant thin spaghetti with tomato sauce. It just never occurred to me that there could be other kinds. I vividly remember when I discovered there were, in fact, other kinds of pasta. I was maybe seven years old, and we were on vacation and went out to eat. For whatever reason, the spirit moved me to order pasta primavera, of all things, and I was absolutely horrified to find out it had vegetables and stuff in it. Who allowed this to transpire?
I may not have enjoyed my first adventure into the world of non-red sauce pasta, but it has become one of my favorite meals. Pasta is such an incredible platform on which to work, and the variety of flavors that you can bring to the plate are only limited by your imagination. So when I was thinking about putting together a new recipe, I wanted to explore the space that pasta provides.
This recipe originally began as a skillet pasta with no cream in it, but the first attempt was really disappointing. The sauce was far too thin, and the abundance of ingredients needed some vigorous editing. So I took it back to the drawing board and rebuilt the dish.
I knew the main body of ingredients — chicken thigh cutlets, mushrooms, and peas — was not the problem. Those three work so well together, and taste just as good in a variety of different sauces. But the ratio of ingredients was off, so I doubled the mushrooms and cut the peas by half. This, in addition to removing arugula from the dish, fixed the proportional issues.
I also knew that my idea to crisp up thin strips of prosciutto was a big winner. The deep, salty, fatty flavor stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the dish, and also provides a great textural change of pace. While we’re here, let’s give it up for prosciutto. You could just as easily use bacon here, but good prosciutto is just perfect. Make sure you get the paper thin slices rather than diced prosciutto, since the thin pieces give the dish much more texture than a small dice would. Also, you can eat a couple slices while you’re prepping. No one will know.
The last big question was what kind of sauce to use.
Parmesan cream sauce is simple. You take some cream and some Parmesan cheese, and the sauce comes together with a little chicken stock. It’s extremely simple and packs a rich flavor without being quite as heavy as alfredo sauce. I knew I wanted something creamy for this dish, so I whipped up a quick roux and used equal parts chicken stock and milk before adding the cheese. It came out perfect, rich and creamy but with enough of a salty, cheesy flavor to stand up to the hefty mix of protein and vegetables.
So next time you are making pasta, switch things up a little and take this recipe for a spin.
Parmesan cream pasta with chicken, mushrooms, peas, and crispy prosciutto
Serves: 5
Cook time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz prosciutto slices, sliced lengthwise and into 1/4” wide strips
1 lb chicken thigh cutlets, fat trimmed
1 medium onion, diced
12 oz white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz chunk or tube pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk (any percentage, I used 2%)
1 cup frozen peas
Juice of one lemon
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook prosciutto until crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Season chicken on both sides with salt and black pepper and cook until done, about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onions are softened and mushrooms have reduced, about 7-8 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan periodically to remove browned bits. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl. After chicken has cooled, slice into thin strips and add to mushroom mixture.
Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until done, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and reserve up to a cup of cooking liquid to add to sauce, if desired (I did not end up using any).
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in now-empty Dutch oven. Add flour and whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat to make a roux. Add chicken stock and milk, continuing to stir until sauce has even consistency, and fold in the Parmesan cheese.
Return chicken and mushroom mix to the Dutch oven, along with pasta, peas, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and cook until peas are cooked through, about two minutes. Season with more salt and plenty of black pepper, and serve topped with prosciutto, parsley, and more Parmesan cheese.