FARFALLE WITH PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO

Farfalle with Peas and Prosciutto image

Yield Serves 2

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas
1/2 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine (a generous 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan plus additional for serving

Steps:

Fill a 5-quart kettle to within 1 inch of top with salted water and bring to a boil for peas and pasta. Into kettle fit a large sieve so that its bottom is submerged in several inches of boiling water. Add peas to sieve and boil until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove sieve, keeping water at a boil, and rinse peas under cold water. Drain peas and transfer to a small bowl.
In a blender purée 2/3 cup peas with mint, zest, 1/2 cup hot cooking water from kettle, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Ladle out 1/4 cup cooking water, reserving it, and drain pasta in a colander. Return pasta to kettle with pea purée, prosciutto, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and remaining 1/3 cup peas and heat over moderate heat, stirring and thinning mixture to desired consistency with reserved cooking water, until heated through. Season pasta with salt and pepper.
Serve pasta with additional Parmesan on the side.