Pasta of the 7 Sins

Hello, my name is Scotty Jeffus, and today, on Pastalove, I will be committing 7 sins. Why?…because that’s the name of this dish, of course! Pasta of the 7 sins.

This is a very classic Tuscan dish that most American cooks might not have heard of, perhaps because of it’s rather unholy name. The dish gets it’s name because it is made with 7 ingredients, each of which begin with the letter P. On top of the pasta, the ingredients are as followed:

1. Pancetta

2. Porro (leek)

3. Pepperoncino (Any hot chili pepper)

4. Pomodoro (tomatoes)

5. Piseli (peas)

6. Parmigiano

7. Panna (Cream)

It’s a dish that’s both very easy to make and very delicious, so let’s jump into it!

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Serves 4

Difficulty: Easy

• 8 oz of pancetta, diced

• 2 leeks, dark leaves removed, white and light green stalk cleaned and sliced

• 1/2-1 Fresno chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

• 15 oz of tomatoes (see note)

• 1 pound of penne pasta

• Salt, for pasta water

• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream

• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

*For this dish, you can use either fresh or canned tomatoes, both work fine. If you are doing fresh, however, make sure the tomatoes are as ripe as possible.

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1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. In a large sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium-low heat until the fat has rendered and the pancetta has started to brown.

3. Add the chopped leek and chili, then increase the heat to medium and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the leek starts to brown.

4. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften and have broken down into a sauce consistency. (If you’re using canned tomatoes, then just let them come up to a simmer.)

5. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente.

6. Stir the peas and cream into the tomato mixture, then cook over medium-low until the cream has reduced by about half. Drain the pasta, then stir it and the cheese into the sauce and let it cook for another minute, or until the sauce clings to the pasta. Divide among bowls then top with even more grated parmesan.