This is a wonderful dish that can be enjoyed as a main dish or as a side dish. It has a little bit of everything, pasta, veggies and meat, with a sprinkling of cheese.
1 lb. fettuccine, spaghetti or any tube pasta
1 c. pasta water, reserved
8 oz. pancetta, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
10 oz. bag frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon, optional
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
Meanwhile, saute pancetta in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined platter.
In the same saucepan, saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add peas and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Stir in cheese, pasta and pancetta. Moisten pasta mixture with some of the reserved pasta water, to taste. Toss to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serve, sprinkled with lemon juice.