Tortellini with Peas and Pancetta

Mmmm, tortellini. Add peas and pancetta and you have a masterpiece. This is a delicious recipe! I picked this out of my Food Network Magazine Cookbook. It was incredibly easy, took less than 30 minutes and was very tasty. The leftovers were also good!

Tortellini with Peas and Pancetta

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Ingredients:

1 lb meat-filled tortellini (I did a mix of chicken-filled and spinach-cheese-filled from Buitoni - I liked the color variety)

1.5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped (or prosciutto)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

The only down-side to this dish is you have to buy tomato paste and heavy cream to only use a small amount... Which in my book is a plus - it's an excuse to make another Italian meal!

Instructions:

-Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as directed on package.

-Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta and cook until crisp, 3-4 minutes.

-Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

-Ladle in about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes.

-About 2 minutes before the tortellini are done, add the peas to the boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain the tortellini and peas.

-Add the cream to the sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

-Combine sauce with pasta and peas in drained pot and toss to combine.

Toss with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Magnifico! Enjoy!!