Pasta with Roasted Peppers, Peas and Cream

Recipe courtesy of zorahangels

• 2 medium red bell peppers
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto ham
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound pasta
• 2 1/3 cups very sweet fresh peas, lightly steamed
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The peppers can be roasted a day in advance, and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The sauce cooks in almost no time and is best made at the last minute.

Roasting the Peppers: Roast the red peppers by searing and blistering them all over on an outdoor grill or on a sheet of aluminum foil on an oven rack set about 3-4 inches below the preheated broiler. Keep turning until their surfaces are well seared. Then tuck them into a plastic or paper bag, seal and let stand about 30 minutes. Slip off the skins, core, and seed. Cut into ½ to ¾ -inch dice.

Making the sauce: In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the prosciutto 30 seconds. Add the peppers and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the cream and set aside off the heat.

Cooking the pasta and assembling the dish: Boil pasta to desired firmness. Drain. Quickly bring the cream sauce to a boil, stirring in the peas. Immediately add the hot pasta, and toss over high heat until the sauce has totally covered the pasta. Add the cheese and toss to coat and penetrate. Add salt to taste, and lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.