Pasta With Prosciutto and Peas

This was one of the easiest meals I have made. My definition of an easy meal is one that requires very little prep work with the meat, and very little cutting of vegetables. When I pulled out the prosciutto Brett was not that enthusiastic: "Why do you keep buying that stuff? Why don't you just use bacon?" Evidently, he's not a big fan. He also thought it was very expensive, and it can be, but the package I bought was actually less expensive than what bacon is going for these days. Sometimes I find the prosciutto too salty, but I really enjoyed this dish. We served it with a nice green salad. I think this dish would actually taste good chilled and served as a pasta salad at a picnic or pot luck.

Pasta With Prosciutto and Peas
Source: Everyday Food

coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces fettuccini
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
2/3 heavy cream
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
8 slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (see note, below), about 1 cup
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream, peas, and prosciuttoo; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.
Note: prosciutto is easier to slice when it's cold. Stack slices, and cut crosswise with a sharp knife.

I didn't have a shallot on hand, so I cut up what I had left of a sweet onion. I also used mini fusili instead of fettucini. I didn't feel like zesting and juicing my only lemon, so I just used some bottled lemon juice.